Founded in 2019 by father-and-son guitar duo Rob V and Big Rob, with Nigel Caicedo on bass, Ukrainian transplant Denys Podmazko on vocals, and Al “Mayhem” Mendez (ex-Dark Angel, ex-Dreams Of Damnation) on drums, LA-based heavy metallers Arch Blade will unleashing unto the pit their debut album “Kill The Witch” via Rockshots Records this coming July 2023.
Presenting versatile heavy metal with high energy both on record and live, the band’s debut full-length is a full-speed-intense blend of various different styles of metal (NWOTHM, Thrash, Power) mixed into one known as Arch Blade. Lyrically, the album is mostly based on vocalist Denys Podmazko’s dreams and nightmares along with his interests in comic books, sci-fi, horror movies, and sometimes documentaries.
“We picked the best songs that we had and focused on them. We did pass on a couple that was not right for the narrative of this album. We are already working on the second album. We feel like it will be even more composed and catchy, so to speak. We want to get back in the studio ASAP.” adds the band.
To give fans a taste of what’s to come, Arch Blade are sharing their music video for their first single “Nightbreed”, a super fun and catchy track to get your hails thrown high into the sky!
“Biker demons, speed, and metal are all you need. If you like classic heavy metal, you probably will like this one. It was inspired by the early 80s Iron Maiden and Judas Priest tunes, and it sounds like something from that time. It’s also our first official video, and that was a lot of fun shooting it in the desert outside of LA with a bunch of our friends.” says the band.
Since forever, the great state of California, has been the cradle of a myriad of wonderful bands and heavy music makes no exceptions. 2019 saw the rise of a new contender in the heavy category in the name of ARCH BLADE. Moreover, this being a “family business” (founded by father-and-son guitar duo Rob V and Big Rob), flavored with a bit of Eastern Europe vocals and latino rhythm section, the LA quintet quickly turned a bunch of eye balls to their artistic output. With a total of 5 singles releases in the course of three years, now we’re facing band’s debut album “Kill The Witch” out in July 2023.
Coming like a thunder from the skies the banding drum intro of “Abduction”, followed by the cutting guitar play put us directly in the eye of the alien storm to be kidnapped by the powerful, thick sound, smashing vocal style and uncompromising messages of “kill or be killed”. It’s a survival battle of the species here and seems like we’re not winning it. The tale is just beginning, voices from the outer limits of the galaxy are whispering their commands of conquer and supremacy. Really a great album opener, rich in musical diversity, setting the tone of a grim tale to follow.
One can easily twist the beginning of “Nightbreed” and interpret it as another “Manowar biker hymn”, yet this tune is way, way different in style and message. It’s not only the band’s first officially released video, but in my opinion is a signature song for the guys, molding together all those wonderful attributes they bring to the scene. The sound is solid, aligned with the singing, the vibe is adventurous and in the same way wicked, as the demon riders cross the land, skirmishing the mind with their roaring engines of terror. This catchy track makes you jump in your boots and start headbanging, raising the horns with one hand, while gently balancing a whiskey glass with the other.
“Tyrant Rhapsody” raises the stakes in all directions. Higher speed, way denser guitar powerplay and simply you can’t miss the thrash roots of this one. It’s almost like the band takes by storm this track, on a single breath, with uncompromising riffs and singing style that gives us a distant reminiscence of the good old “Testament” in their classical era. Kudos to the rhythm section here, since they are the once to “blame” for the rock-solid sound, standing like a cold concrete wall, faceless and in the same time soaked with genuine emotion.
Heading steadily towards the title track, “Kill The Witch” fully immerses the listener in the creepy world of nightmares, delusions and primal fears. Evil tempo, casting spell guitars and high-pitched vocals are the main expressive elements here to instill the nasty feeling of fraudulent despair, wickedness and malice. The chorus is heading the call to demise the hellish creature, vividly depicted on the album cover. In reality, this was the first track ever recorded by the band and clearly keeps a foundational place in the whole narrative structure. Who know if we will witness an extension of this theme in the following releases of “ARCH BLADE” …
Well…all of a sudden, we find ourselves front the “Factory Of Sin” and what swift change of style that one brings! The band refers to it as “stripper song” and boldly connecting it with the personage of the previous title track, the idea of a stripper witch really sounds like a proper ¨californication¨. Joke aside, “Factory Of Sin” breaks the pattern with its groovy nuances, bringing it closer to the 80ties glam , rather than to contemporary heavy/power stylistics. Probably this is a typical American way to pay tribute to a nostalgic era in the genre development, one that marked the peak and pitfall of the entire movement in that geography. After all, what’s a debut album without a touch of experiment?
Halfway through the release, it’s the right time to take a break from the hectic headbanging and take some smooth rest in the “House Of Dreams”. A proper “power ballad”, though not the type we remember from glam epoque, still keeping the tone striking and the mood escalating to an epic proportions, roaming on the wings of a dream, taking highs and lows in this captivating journey of musical extasy. The melancholic epilogue, filled with acoustic guitar lament comes as a natural finisher, taking us out of the illusional dream state.
“Break The Silence” welcomes us with a vortex introduction and another slight stylish deviation from the canonical prescriptions of heavy metal. Crossing the borders of the commonly adopted cliches is definitely a bold statement from the band, not limiting themselves in an easy to digest format of songwriting. The energy and orchestration most certainly carry crossover and even hardcore components, which can become dear to a broader audience of rock music aficionados.
Pure metal massacre comes back on the menu with “Touched By Death”. Extreme, raw and smashing sound, will probably put to the test our surviving skills in the mosh pit. It’s a straightforward thrash punch in the face and only the slower bridge in the middle of the track, let us catch our breath before demolishing another portion of brain cells, banging heads under the bombarding beats of the guitar solo. Instrumental mastery shines through the savage merciless tsunami of tunes, earning respect of any truly devoted metal maniac.
Тhe creative potential of the band gets massively exposed in the “Queen Of The Damned”. Distinctively more complex composition, with plenty of distinctive and contrasting elements, from battering riffs to symphonic solos, this track has it all. Vocal variations don’t fall behind, beautifully embedded in the structure of a classical heavy metal masterpiece, clearly following the best examples set by the forefathers of NWOBHM and NWOTHM. Honorable mention for the lyrics in that one, making it a truly captivating story to follow from start to end.
And off we go to the final stage of torture when all demonic unholy powers are unleashed upon us in “Under The Mask”. This track is real pledge of loyalty to the hard sound, volcanic vocals and excruciating emotions that could only turn true in the worst of nightmares. As a proper epitome of this debut album, “Under The Mask” reunites familiar ingredients spotted in the majority of the previous songs, solidifying the spooky sensation and paying tribute to the dominating horror framework of this anthology.
CONCLUSION: At the end of the day, what’s worth acknowledging for ARCH BLADE is that for a newcomer band, they avoid following any archetype of development, while establishing their name in the local scene and beyond. True to their genesis as a band, the genuine artistic pursuit results in a debut album with solid conceptual structure, which in a way remotely resembles the dreadful atmosphere of the timeless classic by the mighty Iced Earth – “Horror Show”. You can vividly feel how the songs creation process was a consolidated team effort, delivering a balanced, yet memorable piece of Californian metal magic. There is a long path of self-defining ahead of the band and certain time will pass, while they distill their true identity, style and vision. The potential is apparently there and we’ve seen only the tip of the blade so far. The second album, which is on its way, probably will be a pivotal point for the Californians , a compass indicator for the route those guys will follow in chasing the dream.
The Nwothm 
Leave a comment