Witchcraft

This new Swedish band gives new meaning to the term "retro". There is certainly no shortage of contemporary bands who choose to play styles of days past, and in particular there are plenty of fine early-Black Sabbath-influenced bands, and Witchcraft unquestionably belongs in that field. But these guys have gone one step beyond. Witchcraft, the band's self-titled debut album, doesn't just sound like an early-70's-influenced album -- it actually sounds like it really was recorded in 1970. The style, of course, is one reason for this, but the thin, hollow (yet still quite listenable) analog recording is another explanation. Just the sound on Witchcraft, so undeniably 1970s, is paradoxically a breath of fresh air in these times of overly slick, mechanically precise production/recording efforts. Sabbath, again, is an obvious influence, as is early Pentagram, and perhaps other very early hard rock/metal bands like perhaps Captain Beyond. And all of this would be academic if the resulting songs weren't good, but in fact they are very good indeed. Witchcraft is a supremely enjoyable listen for anyone interested in what the roots of metal sounded like.

---

Discography

Copyright © 1995-2024 BNR Productions