By: Anders

Posted: Oct 18, 2005

This was a nice surprise to see among the heaps of albums I need to listen to. I got into Black Witchery, when I back in the days picked up the split LP "Hellstorms Of Evil Vengeance", because I wanted to check out the Canadian band Conqueror (RIP). Black Witchery was the other band featured on the album, and they immediately took me to place beyond this earth, as well as Conqueror did. A bit later Black Witchery released their debut full length "Desecration Of The Holy Kingdom" which was released on Full Moon Productions and is a nice slab of noisy black metal, evil beyond belief. The band was then picked up by Osmose Productions, and the Americans are now ready with their second full length album.

As soon as the intro is done, which is eerie and one of the more effective intros I can remember, the blazing and grinding guitar riffs attacks the listener, brings him to his knees and keeps him down, while one raw and noisy riff is delivered after the other. Once in a while the streams of riffs are turned into a lead or an ugly and teeth grinding solo. This is for sure not for weak minds. The drums are very much in the back ground, very noisy and muddy… blast beat upon blast beat. The recording of the drums aren't very good and it is hard to make out what is played at times. But it works, it brings a killer chaotic feel into the music and completes the hellish atmosphere, where the listener sometimes gets trapped in utter darkness and despair. The vocals are layered on top of the grinding guitar, and the final piece of the all out assault. A raw and haunting scream, with a rasping edge… cutting straight to the bone, delivering the message.

This is not your ordinary black metal album anno 2005, Black Witchery's musical output is heavily rooted in Blasphemy, without copying the masters too much, Black Witchery does stand on their own legs. This is a recommendable album if you are on the look for something utterly skull splitting and crushing black metal, with a raw, black and evil atmosphere. The band uses very few means, but hell how is they effective, this will for sure summon the holocaust! Black Witchery is one of the prime American black metal bands at this point, keeping the legacy from the early brigades as Von and Profanatica high.

Rating: 8½/10

Print