Rock, Metal

Witchcraft - Nucleus (Japanese Edition) [2016]

2016-05-02T15:49:16Z

Witchcraft - Nucleus (Japanese Edition) [2016]


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
10. Chasing Rainbows (bonus)
11. Even In His Youth (bonus)

Magnus Pelander - Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Vibraphone
Tobias Anger - Bass
Rage Widerberg - Drums, Keyboards (8)

Michael Linder - Organ, Keyboards (3)
Christoffer Wadenstein - Flute, Theremin
Josefin Back - Backing Vocals
Ellen Hemstrom – Cello

Hailing from Sweden, Witchcraft is a band that's loved dearly by those who know them and a pleasant surprise for those who don't. They've been around for little over a decade, but didn't gain much notoriety until their 2012 opus Legend. Gaining critical acclaim from metal and rock outlets all over the world and even earning the coveted number four spot on Decibel Magazine's top 40 albums of that year, Legend was a sleeper hit full of incredibly crafted songs that were as heavy as they were catchy. Now, four years later, these Swedish devil children have returned with Nucleus, a much different album than its predecessor, but one no less compelling.

Nucleus sees Witchcraft returning to the doomier roots á la Black Sabbath and Pentagram displayed on their first few albums, namely, their excellent self-titled 2004 debut, but it still retains some of more modern production and songcraft of Legend. In other words, it's great meshing of the two styles, if not a little uneven at times. Part of the reason for this shift in sound is due to the fact that Witchcraft is now a trio. Witchcraft is a band which has, unfortunately, been plagued with many lineup changes throughout their career; however, main songwriter and guitarist/vocalist Magnus Pelander has remained a constant since the band's founding, and the argument stands that Witchcraft really is his brainchild, and therefore, Nucleus is covered with his sonic and stylistic fingerprints. The riffs are still here, as are the solos, the vocal melodies and all the little nuances that make Witchcraft such a special band.

A noticeable difference between Nucleus and Legend is a more traditional doom sound, and in turn, longer song lengths. Four of the album's nine tracks clock in at nearly eight minutes or more, and two of those push the 15-minute mark. The album begins with a somber acoustic lick in "Malstroem" before turning into a old-school doom laden romp that features perhaps one of the heaviest riffs Witchcraft have written. However, in true Witchcraft fashion, the songs takes several unexpected turns, making it a great primer for the rest of the album. Lead single "The Outcast" is most accessible song of the bunch, with it's head-bobbing motif and classic guitar heroics; the solo and interlude on this track are both real highlights of the album. The title track ventures into the aforementioned doom territory, and at 14-minutes long, it has a nice build-up to an almost-anthemic passage before fading away with the somber cry of an accordion.

"An Exorcism of Doubts," whether it was meant to be or not, is an almost direct homage to vintage Sabbath, and it's absolutely fantastic. In contrast, the haunting riffs and atmospheric acoustics of "Helpless" are a bit different for Witchcraft, but definitely worth sticking around for. It's a testament to how Witchcraft can seamlessly blend both the old and the new into a compelling and memorable package of heavy metal bliss. Overall, there's really not a single dud on Nucleus; every track is masterfully written and memorable in its own right, and though the album's closer "Breakdown" feels just a little too drawn out, it's more than forgivable considering the quality of the album as a whole. It does take a few listens to fully grasp what Witchcraft is trying to achieve with Nucleus, but once you get there, you won't be able to put it down. Nucleus is an absolutely top notch album, not to mention one hell of a way to kick off 2016. ---Aaron Lambert, metalinjection.net

Witchcraft to jeden z naprawdę nielicznych młodych zespołów, do którego twórczości chętnie wracam. Grupa ciekawie nawiązuje do najlepszych czasów muzyki rockowej. Nie tylko stylistycznie. Jej pierwsze trzy albumy brzmiały jakby zostały nagrane czterdzieści lat wcześniej. Szczególnie warto z nich wyróżnić trzeci, "The Alchemist" z 2007 roku. O ile na poprzednich było słychać głównie inspirację klasycznym doom metalem (Black Sabbath, Pentagram), tak na tym doszły wyraźne wpływy rocka progresywnego, a aranżacje stały się znacznie bogatsze. Poza tym muzycy rozwinęli się jako kompozytorzy i zaproponowali bardzo przebojowy, ale nie banalny, materiał. Nieco rozczarował mnie kolejny album zespołu, wydany w 2012 roku "Legend" - pierwszy, który poznawałem na bieżąco. Chociaż poziom kompozytorski na nim nie spadł, to przez unowocześnione (czyt. cięższe, pozbawione przestrzeni i dynamiki) brzmienie i uproszczenie aranżacji (tylko podstawowe instrumentarium: gitary, bas, perkusja) nie słuchało się go tak przyjemnie, jak poprzednich dokonań Witchcraft. Być może to uwspółcześnienie było koniecznym kompromisem po podpisaniu kontraktu z większą wytwórnią, a może wynikało z istotnej zmiany składu - z oryginalnego wcielenia grupy pozostali wówczas tylko wokalista i gitarzysta Magnus Pelander oraz basista Ola Henriksson.

Od czasu wydania "Legend" minęło trochę ponad trzy lata. W międzyczasie skład Witchcraft znów uległ poważniej zmianie - w zespole pozostał tylko Pelander. To jednak właśnie on był zawsze siłą napędową grupy, co pozwoliło zachować mu nazwę. Z pomocą nowej sekcji rytmicznej - basisty Tobiasa Angera i perkusisty Rage'a Widerberga - nagrał kolejny album wydany pod tym szyldem, zatytułowany "Nucleus". Na miesiąc przed premierą albumu opublikowana została pierwsza zapowiedź, w postaci singlowego kawałka "The Outcast". Utwór sprawia naprawdę dobre wrażenie: klasyczne brzmienie (bliższe pierwszych trzech albumów, niż "Legend"), dużo hard rockowego riffowania, ale też liczne spokojne zwolnienia, do tego przebojowa melodia i bogata aranżacja (poza podstawowym instrumentarium słychać także flet i klawisze); nie można też nie wspomnieć o zgrabnych, klasycznie rockowych gitarowych solówkach. Kompozycja spokojnie mogłaby tracić na "The Alchemist". I na pewno nie byłaby tam wypełniaczem. Po takiej zapowiedzi spodziewałem się albumu co najmniej bardzo dobrego.

Ale "Nucleus" nie jest takim albumem. Klasyczne brzmienie i dość urozmaicone aranżacje, charakteryzujące także pozostałe utwory, to za mało by zachwycić, jeśli brakuje dobrych, przyciągających uwagę kompozycji. "The Outcast" należy do wyjątków. Innym interesującym utworem jest "An Exorcism of Doubts". Rozpoczęty posępnym motywem, jakiego nie powstydziłby się Tony Iommi, który stopniowo przechodzi w niemal balladową zwrotkę, by wrócić w refrenie. Po drugim refrenie niespodziewanie rozbrzmiewa bardzo ładna solówka, przywołująca klimat rockowych ballad z lat 70. Potem utwór nabiera ciężaru i tempa, pojawia się kilka niezłych riffów, by na koniec wrócił do głównego tematu. Bardzo sabbathowo brzmi także "Theory of Consequence", słusznie wybrany na drugą zapowiedź longplaya. Szkoda jedynie, że kończy się po niespełna dwóch i pół minuty, pozostawiając spory niedosyt. Na wyróżnienie zasługują także bardziej pogodne i przebojowe "The Obsessed", "To Transcend Bitterness" i "Chasing Rainbows". Wbrew wszelkiej logice, ostatni - i najlepszy - z tych trzech utworów jest tylko bonusem (w wydaniu digipakowym oraz wersji winylowej).

Ale na albumie jest też sporo dłużyzn. Już na otwarcie pojawia się ponad ośmiominutowy "Malstroem", który po ciekawym wstępie (z gitarą akustyczną i fletem) zmienia się w toporny i dość monotonny riffowy walec. A to jeszcze nic przy dwóch najdłuższych utworach, które razem trwają pół godziny. W tytułowym "Nucleus" zespół proponuje liczne zmiany nastroju, ale całości brakuje płynności, jaką miały progresywne utwory sprzed czterech dekad. Do tego dochodzi chaos spowodowany użyciem zbyt wielu dodatkowych instrumentów - jak nie fletu, to skrzypiec lub przeróżnych klawiszowych brzmień, by na koniec wstawić jeszcze minutę gry na akordeonie. Jakby tego było mało, pojawiają się tu jeszcze chóralne wokalizy... Dla odmiany w finałowym "Breakdown" dzieje się zbyt mało, jak na kwadrans muzyki: najpierw siedem minut jednostajnego, spokojnego grania, potem drugie tyle monotonnego powtarzania jednego, topornego riffu. Zdecydowanie więcej dzieje się w niemal trzykrotnie krótszym "Helpless" - częściowo utrzymanym balladowym nastroju, a częściowo miażdżącym sabbathowym ciężarem. Jednak i w nim pojawia się spora powtarzalność motywów,

Chociaż ilościowo przeważają tutaj utwory udane (sześć do czterech), to pod względem czasowym stanowią one mniejszą część albumu (niespełna pół godziny, przy ponad 70-minutowej całości). W rezultacie "Nucleus" okazuje się najsłabszym albumem w dotychczasowej dyskografii Witchcraft. Grupa wciąż jest jednym z najciekawszych zjawisk na scenie retro-rockowej, ale nie podoba mi się kierunek, jaki obrała na tym albumie. Za dużo tutaj rozciągania utworów, przy czym muzykom zbrakło wyobraźni, by ciekawie je wypełnić, unikając chaosu lub monotonii. W krótszych utworach dzieje się zdecydowanie więcej, a przynajmniej sprawiają one takie wrażenie. Mam nadzieję, że muzycy po nabraniu dystansu do swojego najnowszego albumu, dostrzegą jego wady i wyciągną odpowiednie wnioski. Nie wykluczam, że będą wówczas w stanie stworzyć coś na miarę "The Alchemist" - jak dotąd najlepszego retro-albumu XXI wieku. --- pablosreviews.blogspot.com

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Witchcraft - The Alchemist (2007)

2016-07-29T11:01:31Z

Witchcraft - The Alchemist (2007)


1. Walk Between the Lines 3:24
2. If Crimson Was Your Colour 3:47
3. Leva 4:33
4. Hey Doctor 5:12
5. Samaritan Burden 6:27
6. Remembered 5:14
7. The Alchemist (parts 1, 2 & 3) 14:38

Magnus Pelander - Vocals, Guitars
John Hoyles - Guitars, Guitars (acoustic)
Ola Henriksson - Bass
Fredrik Jansson – Drums

Despite its self-serious tone, the third album by this Swedish doom outfit is old-school stoner rock, the band no longer posturing as Satan's messiah but rather hedging their apocalyptic metal with a psychedelic euphoria.

Since forming in 2000, Witchcraft's made no bones about their adoration of Roky Erickson and Pentagram's Bobby Liebling. However, despite both figures receiving nearly equal shine in Witchcraft interviews, the latter's left a disproportionately large mark on these Swedes' doom metal assault. Like equally cartoonish countrymen the Hives, Witchcraft doesn't flinch when copping their beloved retro bands, refusing to update even the most garish traits of classic metal, most notably Black Sabbath and Pentagram. The Alchemist, Witchcraft's third LP, sticks to many of these traits-- the compulsive riffing, Renaissance Faire charade, dramatic builds upon dramatic builds-- though it's also Witchcraft's first overt display of a Roky Erickson influence, and a better album for it.

On part one of the epic three-part, 14-minute title track, singer Magnus Pelander declares he "can blow your mind," and most of The Alchemist seeks to do just that in the old school stoner rock style. This is music for blazing in your parent's basement, the band no longer posturing as Satan's messiah but rather hedging their apocalyptic metal with a psychedelic euphoria. Of course, overall there's still a self-serious tone, with lots of phrases suitable to hear only at Comic-Con (e.g. "Constitution of murder!...Institution of sadness!" or "In our darkest hour/ When the dragon releases its power"). Regardless of what yarn he's spinning, though, Pelander's vocals really pop from the mix, a welcome change from most of the band's previous work recorded on vintage 1970s studio equipment. Opener "Walking the Line" will cause many double-takes, the song's bouncy melody taking a cue from Josh Homme's catchy brand of stoner rock. You can even feel the 13th Floor Elevators love on "Remembered", its death march verse contrasted by a trippy chorus and wah-wah guitar solo too loopy by metal standards.

With all the Arthurian lore and story-telling zeal, The Alchemist could actually be a fun record with a little tongue-in-cheekiness thrown in. But despite the looser psych vibe, the album follows the well-trod path to Mordor (or something like it). Along the way Sabbath riffs and scene-stealing howls cue us in when the stakes get particularly high, but the music often sounds as hyperbolic as the tale its soundtracking. That said, Witchcraft's made leaps and bounds since their debut, back when they'd be confused for the kind of macabre Scandinavian metal act that'd murder its bassist for inspiration. If these guys could just quit letting their Tolkien complex overwhelm the music, they might someday do their touchstones justice and escape their current snicker-inducing status. --- Adam Moerder, pitchfork.com

Album "The Alchemist" został wydany zaledwie pięć lat temu, a brzmi jak jakieś zaginione dzieło z początku lat 70. W porównaniu z poprzednimi albumami Witchcraft, "The Alchemist" wydaje się nieco lżejszy, choć grupa wciąż gra przede wszystkim dynamiczne utwory, oparte na doom metalowych riffach w stylu Black Sabbath czy Pentagram (np. "Walking Between the Lines", "Hey Doctor"). Być może jest to kwestia większego nacisku na wyrazistość melodii - zespół nie miał wcześniej w repertuarze tak chwytliwych utworów, jak "Walking Between the Lines", "If Crimson Was Your Colour", czy - przede wszystkim - "Remembered".

Z każdym kolejnym utworem, longplay coraz bardziej zachwyca. Prawdziwa magia rozpoczyna się wraz z wolniejszym "Samaritian Burden", opartym na wyrazistej linii basu i zakończeniem wzbogaconym o brzmienia akustyczne. Ale to i tak nic przy rewelacyjnym "Remembered". W zasadniczej części utworu riffowe zwrotki kontrastują z łagodnym refrenem, a na koniec pojawia się świetna solówka na saksofonie, które idealnie wtapia się w sabbathowe riffy. Jest jeszcze ponad 11-minutowy tytułowy "The Alchemist", składający się z trzech części. Pierwsza to ciągłe zmiany klimatu. Obok mocnych riffów, pojawiają się fragmenty balladowe o nieco folkowym charakterze. Część druga, prog rockowa, to delikatne dźwięki gitar i melotronu, które jednak stają się coraz bardziej intensywne. W ostatniej części, zespół wraca do mocnego riffowania.

"The Alchemist" to jeden z najwspanialszych albumów ostatniej dekady, będący niezwykłą podróżą do najlepszych lat muzyki rockowej. --- Paweł Pałasz, pablosreviews.blogspot.com

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Witchcraft – Firewood (2005)

2016-04-12T15:49:24Z

Witchcraft – Firewood (2005)


1.Chylde Of Fire [2:50]
2.If Wishes Were Horses [3:16]
3.Mr. Haze [3:41]
4.Wooden Cross (I can’t wake the dead) [4:46]
5.Queen Of Bees [5:13]
6.Merlin’s Daughter [1:32]
7.I See a Man [3:59]
8.Sorrow Evoker [5:44]
9.You Suffer [2:43]
10.Attention! (together with bonus track ‘When The Screams Come’) [11:40]

Magnus Pelander - Vocals, Guitars
John Hoyles - Guitars
Ola Henriksson 	- Bass
Jonas Arnesén – Drums

Swedish retro psychedelic/hard rock/doom metal band Witchcraft released sophomore album 'Firewood' in 2005; only a year after their popular self-titled debut album was released. Stylistically, it's the same. The Pentagram and Black Sabbath worship, the late 60s/early 70s feel and the gothic/occult theme are all present. Musically, it's not too different from the debut album either. The band thrives on playing the simple, old school riffs. They're not loud, crushingly heavy and all that evil like many doom riffs are, but are somewhat mellow and melancholic, as well as melodic and catchy. There are some good leads and solos here and there; nothing too flashy, but effective and memorable nevertheless. The "catchiness" and diversity can be heard on tracks such as "Mr. Haze", "Merlin's Daughter", "Sorrow Evoker" and the very cool blues-driven "Attention!". Catchy, melodic riffs and acoustic guitars thrown into the mix to great effect. The drums are mostly simple, but do an excellent job. I must say that the bass is much better on 'Firewood' than on 'Witchcraft'. It grooves on some of the tracks! I'm a big fan of Magnus Pelander and his voice. The Bobby Liebling influence is great, and while I admire Liebling and all the work he has done for the underground metal scene, Pelander is simply a better singer.

This brings me to the production. The production on 'Firewood' is, like the basslines, better than on the debut album. While I don't mind the very thin, hazy analog production on the 'Witchcraft', I feel that the production on this record brings out the sheer amount of quality that Witchcraft possesses (no pun intended).

While the fellows in Witchcraft certainly improved as musicians in the little year between 'Witchcraft' and 'Firewood', I think there is something extremely charming and magical about the self-titled debut. Be it the very retro production combined with the sometimes sloppy jamming and the mysterious howls and groans from Liebling Junior; I don't know, but Witchcraft had a lot to live up to with their second record. Despite the music being simplistic, it was mostly the atmosphere that would be hard to recapture, but I think the band managed to conjure another most excellent album. I prefer 'Witchcraft' over 'Firewood' by a hair, but this album goes highly recommended to fans of the darker side of the 70s rock and metal. --- Cozy darkness, metal-archives.com

Ask a group of doom metal or stoner rock enthusiasts what band was the blueprint for the doom/stoner field, and the vast majority will -- without hesitation -- say Black Sabbath. So when a band is as Sabbath-influenced as Witchcraft, it is understandable that some headbangers would describe them as a doom band. But Witchcraft isn't nearly as forceful or as heavy as Eyehategod, Orange Goblin, or Toadliquor, and Firewood isn't typical of what has been considered doom metal and stoner rock in the '90s and 2000 -- actually, this 2005 release shows no awareness of post-'80s metal or even post-'70s metal. Rather, Firewood is a total throwback to the heavy metal, hard rock, and psychedelic rock of the late '60s and very early '70s. Black Sabbath's first few albums with Ozzy Osbourne are a strong influence, and the Swedish band's other inspirations include Jethro Tull, Cream, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and the great but underexposed Budgie. If one didn't know for sure that Firewood was a 2005 recording, it would be easy to assume that the disc was recorded around 1969 or 1970 -- even the production is totally retro. And while Witchcraft's melodic offerings aren't the least bit groundbreaking, they are enjoyable; this derivative outing won't win any awards for originality, although it leaves no doubt that these Swedes are good at what they do. Firewood isn't in a class with the best albums that Sabbath, Tull, and Hendrix had to offer back in the Richard Nixon years, but it's a decent, worthwhile example of Witchcraft's desire to re-create the early years of heavy metal and hard rock. ---Alex Henderson, allmusic.com

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Witchcraft – Witchcraft (2004)

2016-03-10T16:42:32Z

Witchcraft – Witchcraft (2004)


1. "Witchcraft" – 6:00
2. "The Snake" – 2:48
3. "Please Don't Forget Me" (Liebling) – 2:13
4. "Lady Winter" – 2:58
5. "What I Am" – 3:45
6. "Schyssta Lgner" – 1:57
7. "No Angel or Demon" – 3:28
8. "I Want You to Know" – 3:16
9. "It's So Easy" – 3:53
10. "You Bury Your Head" – 4:40
11. "Her Sisters They Were Weak" – 6:00

Jonas Aenésen – Drums
John Hoyles - Guitar
Ola Henriksson - Bass
Magnus Pelander - Guitar, Vocals

Unlike most doom bands, Sweden's Witchcraft aren't content to remake Black Sabbath's original heavy metal blueprint -- doleful, deliberate, scary stuff -- at ear-shattering volume and distortion. Rather, they take it a step further by ensuring their eponymous 2004 debut (which they proudly claim was recorded "in a basement" using only vintage equipment) sounds no more recent than, say, 1971. Sure enough, the results are so eerily authentic that fans of modern doom may at first find themselves wondering if Witchcraft even qualifies as such (strictly speaking, I suppose they don't) -- only to realize, if they know their history, that Sabbath themselves sounded no heavier on their seminal debut. And clearly, it's that unique and genre-founding article, with its looser, at times almost jazzy arrangements, which informs much of the contents here: from the wonderfully simple but effective riffs driving the band's eponymous title track, to the reedy, Ozzy-like vocal swoops punctuating ensuing numbers like "The Snake," "Lady Winter," and "What I Am." Witchcraft have a little more spring in their step than the original Sabs, and therein lies proof of their additional influences in '70s folk and hard rock -- particularly legendary proto-doomsters Pentagram. To wit, "Please Don't Forget Me" is a cover version of a tune by Stone Bunny -- a ridiculously obscure band which later evolved into Pentagram; and first single (and veritable raison d'être), "No Angel or Demon," was in fact recorded as a tribute to Pentagram leader Bobby Liebling. Included here, it sounds somewhat at odds with its surroundings -- partly due to its exceedingly energetic gait, partly because its familiar closing riffs leave one expecting Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" to kick off. Back to more familiar, but no less inventive terrain, "It's So Easy" offers yet another multi-faceted and mesmerizing trip, "You Bury Your Head" suddenly cuts loose with ripping bass and heavily distorted guitars, and the cryptic "Her Sisters They Were Weak" sweeps along medieval melodies on its way to a chilling music box coda, its words recited and printed backward so that one must hold the CD booklet to a mirror in order to reveal a devilish parable! In summary, as much as their admirable songwriting chops, it's often Witchcraft's loving recreation of a sorely overlooked era in underground music that makes this album such a special treat to behold. --- Eduardo Rivadavia, allmusic.com

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