Witchcraft - Witchcraft
Rise Above - RISECD47 - 2004
By Paddy Walsh
Listening to Sweden's Witchcraft is like stepping into a time warp and being brought back to 1971. Black Sabbath were in the midst of transforming rock music as it was known, progressive rock was taking hold in the public consciousness, Led Zeppelin were laying waste to hotel rooms across the world, and it must have seemed like a new classic album was hitting the shelves every other week. Witchcraft are like an amalgamation of all that was good in the 70s - a veritable treasure chest of riches for classic rock/metal enthusiasts. It may be somewhat in vogue to go 'retro' at the moment, but Witchcraft are one of the few bands that have truly managed to capture the spirit of the 70s in this, their debut album for Lee Dorrian's (who else?) label Rise Above.
The first thing to take note of is the absolutely spot-on production at work here. The sound is crystal clear, yet has a distant analogue delicacy to it that belies the fact that this is being released in 2004. The vocals especially have that beautiful echoey resonance that was very much a staple in albums of the late 60's/early 70's. Elsewhere the production is sparse and simple, but the apparent use of some knackered old amp means that Witchcraft genuinely sounds like it was recorded 30 years ago.
The music itself melds the doomy plodding of early Black Sabbath and Pentagram with the more melodic side of 70s hard rock such as Cream, Zeppelin and even Hendrix. So calling this a metal album is perhaps a little misleading, but there's no questioning the heaviness in places, such the Pentagram-esque 'The Snake'. Opener 'Witchcraft' is a perfect entrance point, showcasing all of the band's strengths, while closer 'Her Sisters They Were Weak' recalls the mediaeval prog noodlings of Gentle Giant, before bursting forth into a Sabbath riff fest overlaid with tasteful soloing.
To decry Witchcraft for their unoriginality and pilfering from an era that has long since passed is to completely miss the point, as the incredibly strong song-writing, consistent throughout this record, more than makes up for it. In fact, it's oldness is more refreshing than anything, especially considering the amounts of boring, safe radio rock that currently pollutes our airwaves. Yeah, they pay their homage, but they've completely sucked the life out of classic rock with harmless lyrics and digital production. Fuck that. Witchcraft is where it's at if you want to transport yourself to an age of danger, drugs and most of all; awesome hard rock tunes. Most importantly, with Witchcraft the atmosphere is intact, and as a piece of revivalism it comes highly recommended.
9/10
Witchraft's Official Website
Rise Above Records' Official Website
Rise Above - RISECD47 - 2004
By Paddy Walsh
Listening to Sweden's Witchcraft is like stepping into a time warp and being brought back to 1971. Black Sabbath were in the midst of transforming rock music as it was known, progressive rock was taking hold in the public consciousness, Led Zeppelin were laying waste to hotel rooms across the world, and it must have seemed like a new classic album was hitting the shelves every other week. Witchcraft are like an amalgamation of all that was good in the 70s - a veritable treasure chest of riches for classic rock/metal enthusiasts. It may be somewhat in vogue to go 'retro' at the moment, but Witchcraft are one of the few bands that have truly managed to capture the spirit of the 70s in this, their debut album for Lee Dorrian's (who else?) label Rise Above.
The first thing to take note of is the absolutely spot-on production at work here. The sound is crystal clear, yet has a distant analogue delicacy to it that belies the fact that this is being released in 2004. The vocals especially have that beautiful echoey resonance that was very much a staple in albums of the late 60's/early 70's. Elsewhere the production is sparse and simple, but the apparent use of some knackered old amp means that Witchcraft genuinely sounds like it was recorded 30 years ago.
The music itself melds the doomy plodding of early Black Sabbath and Pentagram with the more melodic side of 70s hard rock such as Cream, Zeppelin and even Hendrix. So calling this a metal album is perhaps a little misleading, but there's no questioning the heaviness in places, such the Pentagram-esque 'The Snake'. Opener 'Witchcraft' is a perfect entrance point, showcasing all of the band's strengths, while closer 'Her Sisters They Were Weak' recalls the mediaeval prog noodlings of Gentle Giant, before bursting forth into a Sabbath riff fest overlaid with tasteful soloing.
To decry Witchcraft for their unoriginality and pilfering from an era that has long since passed is to completely miss the point, as the incredibly strong song-writing, consistent throughout this record, more than makes up for it. In fact, it's oldness is more refreshing than anything, especially considering the amounts of boring, safe radio rock that currently pollutes our airwaves. Yeah, they pay their homage, but they've completely sucked the life out of classic rock with harmless lyrics and digital production. Fuck that. Witchcraft is where it's at if you want to transport yourself to an age of danger, drugs and most of all; awesome hard rock tunes. Most importantly, with Witchcraft the atmosphere is intact, and as a piece of revivalism it comes highly recommended.
9/10
Witchraft's Official Website
Rise Above Records' Official Website
