After skipping 2017, Heavy Montreal is officially back, and the 2018 lineup is HUGE. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Witchcraft
2018 Psycho Las Vegas Initial Lineup Includes Witchcraft, Goblin, High On Fire And More!
The 2018 Psycho Las Vegas festival will be taking place from August 17th-19th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Just like last year, the lineup will include over seventy bands, and the first wave of bands has just been announced. Continue reading
Doyle – II: As We Die
It’s been a busy few years for Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein. From setting up his eponymous band, launching a debut album via his own Monsterman Records and the tiny matter of reforming and gigging the classic Misfits he is now completing the cycle with part II: As We Die of the Doyle legacy, this time partnering with Dave Ellefson’s EMP behemoth empire.Continue reading
Wormlust – Mannveira And The New Breed Of Icelandic Black Metal
The past few years the hottest ticket in Black Metal has been anything out of Iceland. Starting with Svarti Daudi, followed by Sinmara and Misthyrming, these guys from the sparsely populated island in the near The Arctic Ocean are shaking the world wherever they go. The people involved in these bands have a pretty special take on black metal: having been isolated as long as they are they’re not as concerned with who they want to sound like or who they know, but find their own way through expressing the misery of every day life.Continue reading
Epic Death- Witchcraft
The last place you’d expect the seeds of evil to come from are the great southern state of Texas. But as the sun sets below the trees, and sinks for the night, a haunting melody creeps from the shadows. That melody belongs to none other than Epic Death. Their release Witchcraft (Self-Released) was produced by Stephen Bogle, and these guys aren’t just a bunch of knock offs from a Cradle of Filth clearance sale. They are the real deal.
From the depths of darkness ‘The Vendetta’ creeps like fog rolling through a cemetery and into your eardrums warning you not to turn out the lights. ‘Dragon’s Blood’ follows that up taking you on a mystical journey that only Epic Death can keep you safe during. Weaving its incantation of evil and black magic the solo from Nathan Chance on the title track ‘Witchcraft’ speaks in tongues.
‘Poison’ is a familiar yet original cover of Alice Cooper’s treasured track that does it more than justice. In ‘Screams from Valhalla’, the Vikings have returned their death march apparent in the opening moments of the track. As the thunder crackles, Becky Demona sends you to the ‘Eye of the Storm’ with her fingers weaving around the keys in dizzying spectacle. Lead vocalist Denis Dorsett puts some strain on his vocals, but it’s nice to hear something dark and melodic that you can understand the words to.
This album may be a little thin here then there, but it certainly doesn’t mislead from the band’s name as the journey is certainly one of Epic Death.
6.0/10
VINCENT RENN
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Audio: Witchcraft – The Outcast
Swedish doom rockers Witchcraft is streaming a new song entitled “The Outcast,” off of their new album Nucleus, out January 15, 2016 via Nuclear Blast below.
Nucleus:
01: Malstroem
02: Theory Of Consequence
03: The Outcast
04: Nucleus
05: An Exorcism Of Doubts
06: The Obsessed
07: To Transcend Bitterness
08: Helpless
09: Breakdown
Limited digipak CD & 2LP vinyl bonus track
10: Chasing Rainbows
Sabbath Assembly – Sabbath Assembly
Breaking from the embracing arms of The Process Church of The Final Judgement sees Sabbath Assembly reborn, emerging from their cocoon blinking into the light with fresh purpose and a redefining self-titled release. Although officially the bands fifth release Sabbath Assembly (Svart) really does sound like a new beginning for an act reinvigorated by pursuing a modified philosophy. Whether the freedom comes from stepping away from the scriptures of others, or through the musical progressions and developments they’ve chosen to make, nonetheless the evolution is welcome.
No longer tethering themselves to releasing the hymns of The Process Church, Sabbath Assembly sees nine wholly original compositions that, while occult in reference and dark in musical style, transposes their previous work into a new entity. Musically, while influences and styles are clearly rooted in yesteryear, the move to increase the presence of distorted guitars and the proliferation of NWOBHM breaks and passages amongst the Trouble-ed moments is a celebrated addition to their genealogy, meaning the band no longer sit under the “Occult Rock” umbrella, but embrace now their own, more distinctive, sound.
Jamie Myers adds a stronger, more dominant tone of Hammer Horror idiosyncrasy to her previous geniality, as quasi-ritualistic poetic intonations add to an overwhelming atmosphere of 1700’s witchcraft made flesh. Her new approach dovetails with the inherent upbeat catchiness of tracks ‘Confessing A Murder’, ‘Ave Sathanas’ and ‘Burn Me, I Thirst For Fire’, while Kevin Hufnagel’s 80’s influenced guitar work segues from Candlemass dripped doom-shaking to Satan (the band) esque gallops. ‘Only You’ teases a Mercyful Fate bolt, settles into a darkened brood, before racing to the end in a bounce of classic heavy metal riffery. Traditional metal solos enhance and embellish the album throughout, as do the melodic Witchfinder General touches and leads.
Taking an atmospheric turn for the latter third of the album means, dynamically, Sabbath Assembly feels a little strange; not quite tailing off, but as if emerging out the end of a night-time ritual into the stillness of the darkness before dawn as ‘Sharp Edge Of The Earth’ and the beautiful, folky ‘Shadows of Emptiness’ are reflective and breathy.
Of course this isn’t a “new band”, but neither is this a representation of previous ideology, either musically or philosophically. Whatever the impetus for the change in Sabbath Assembly, the culmination of the transformation is overwhelmingly positive in terms of their artistic growth.
7.5/10
STEVE TOVEY
Valkyrie – Shadows
Although they’ve not released a record for seven years, Harrisonburg, Virginia’s Valkyrie haven’t been idle. Guitarist Pete Adams joined Baroness, while fellow Adams brother Jake began a career in teaching. And despite promises to the contrary when Ghost Cult talked to them a couple of years ago, the band have signed to Relapse Records to release their third album, Shadows.
With Sanford Parker (Pelican, Leviathan, YOB) on production duties and backed up by Alan Fary on Bass and Warren Hawkins on drums [the Adams share vocal duties], Shadows is a musical step up. With the exception of rollicking opener ‘Mountain Stomp’ the band have matured their sound and mostly ditched their simple but satisfying approach to song writing. Gone are the Iron Maiden-esque gallops, and in in their place is a complex melody of 80s doom [think St. Vitus/Trouble], classic NWOBHM sensibilities and progressive structures.
There’s still plenty of Thin Lizzy-styled twin leads – fans of Baroness will be find plenty of familiar fret wizardry to enjoy – and plenty of thunderous riffs filling every moment, but the songs are more complex and ambitious. The likes of ‘Temple’ and ‘Wintery Plains’ combine the slow and controlled build up with some stellar intricate musicianship and plenty of melody, and not the kinds of songs you could imagine the band being capable of on their self-titled debut (Twin Earth Records) or the excellent Man of Two Visions (Noble Origin).
It’s the musical muscle that makes Shadows so enjoyable, and the Adams’ guitar work takes centre stage throughout of the entire record. Only one track is less than six minutes long, but they all they devote more time to the altar of the solo than anything else. ‘Shadow of Reality’, ‘Golden Age’ and ‘Echoes (Of The Ways We Lived)’ all combine the meatiness of The Sword circa Age of Winters (Kemado/Toy’s Factory) with the 70s fuzz of classic Witchcraft or Graveyard.
Shadows is seven tracks of guitar acrobatics with real depth. Long-time fans might take a few listens to really acclimatise as the songs aren’t quite as instantaneous as previous albums. But they’ve pushed themselves and created something that is undoubtedly influenced by classic metal but not afraid to show off quite how good they are at that guitar thing. All killer, no filler.
9.0/10
DAN SWINHOE
Witch Mountain – Mobile Of Angels
Six years after the Jex Thoth debut, it seems that the whole “Occult Rock” thing is now calming down to the extent that we can talk about a new Doom-flavoured band with female vocals on its own merits without losing all sense of perspective. An ideal time, then, for Witch Mountain to continue taking Black Sabbath into new realms of emotional depth and maturity.
On first listen, Witch Mountain’s music is at the friendlier end of the Doom spectrum – groovy riffs, clean vocals, mid-paced tempos that never hit the punishing slows or crushing low-end that the genre is capable of at its nastiest. Things change slightly during the middle-section of ‘Can’t Settle’, when the pace slows and the vocals take on a harsher aspect, but it still has more in common with Witchcraft than Primitive Man. Unlike most of their groovy peers, however, they tend towards longer songs, Mobile Of Angels’ (Profound Lore) five tracks averaging around ten minutes each.
What really sets Witch Mountain apart from other groove-based Doom or “Stoner” bands, and what makes them worthy of a label like Profound Lore, is the sense of emotional sincerity and power. These are not just fun collections of catchy riffs, there’s a genuine weight to them, a weight which comes not from distortion or effects-pedals but from really meaning it. A big part of that comes from Uta Plotkin’s vocals. Though initially seeming to lack the blood-and-thunder heaviness that you might expect from a Doom band, they reveal a depth and richness that goes far beyond that. Vulnerability is a rare commodity in Metal, but all the more valuable for it. Although different musically, I was frequently put in mind of Karyn Crisis’ clean vocals in terms of emotional expression.
Mobile Of Angels is not the most extreme or challenging album you’ll hear all year, but nor is it another fluffy “stoner” album with catchy grooves and nothing else. Rather, it is a personal, reflective set of songs that manage to be both accessible and moving, and comes recommended for those who want a bit more emotional depth to their Metal.
8.5/10
RICHIE H-R
Steak – Slab City
Fuzzed up London based Stoners Steak peddle a distorted sound that smacks you upside the head with its rumbling bass and muscular grooves. ‘Liquid Gold’ is built on walls of powerful desert style psychedelia with the eerie compressed vocals of Kippa adding a menace and paranoia to the trip which many acts have side stepped in favour of good-time party rock.
That’s not to say Steak don’t make an enjoyable headshaking racket. The nimble fretwork here recalls players like Nebula’s Eddie Glass with a molasses thick Sleep texture to the driving riffs that powers Slab City.
Like many Stoner releases it would have been impossible not to mention Kyuss but for John Garcia adding his distinctive vocals to album highlight ‘Pisser’. You can almost hear the smiles of the band members as Garcia’s unmistakable contributions gel with the delicious riffs.
That Harper Hug (Unida producer) and Garcia’s Unida bandmate Arthur Seay are involved in the recording makes for little surprise but while they clearly have friends in high places Steak’s songwriting is lean and trimmed of the indulgent jam sections which many act of this ilk languish in. It’s unashamedly retrospective in approach harking back to the late nineties in the same fashion which acts like Witchcraft take inspiration from the 60s and 70s. Secret track ‘Old Timer D.W.’ also features some nice Led Zep slide guitar.
Unquestionably metallic, there are no bluesy jams or instrumental break diluting the potency of their delicious riff driven assault. It’s uncomplicated and go for the throat approach won’t change the opinions of those not enthralled with stoner rock but one which fans of the acts referenced here will lap up.
‘Slab City’ won’t expand the profile of the genre but it is delivered with a loving and faithful zeal which you can’t help but fall for. Sure all the flavours of this platter will be instantly familiar with fans of the genre but no less juicy and tender. A lovely rendered depiction of the Palm desert filtered through gritty London charm Steak are doing what they love and doing it in style.
7/10
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WORDS ROSS BAKER