Release date: 29th May 2026

Label: Listenable Records

Review

“Heroes and the Dice” had a synthy intro that reminded me a lot of 80s ballad, Lita Ford’s duet with Ozzy “Close My Eyes Forever” in particular stuck out. As someone who is familiar with Marta’s prior work, I am pleased to say that this does sound distinct from Crystal Viper. There’s a touch of a more melodic nature to it that sets it apart. The total earworm of a chorus seals the deal for this one, more than making up for the somewhat generic instrumentation.

“Beast Inside” was heavier than the opener right from the get-go, with some killer drumming to kick things off. Marta’s voice here also featured a more Gothic quality for the slower sequences, while keeping her tried and true shrieks for the faster bits. In particular, she is killing it on the chorus. There’s a very sick bridge section, it’s nothing too crazy or flashy, but it does wonders to set the ambiance for the track.

“Bound by the Night” I felt was more riff focused, with the main riff in particular standing out. That doesn’t even mention the stellar basslines in this one, the production is seriously lifting them up to greatness. Similarly, I feel that the mix is fairly balanced here, in the prior two tracks I had found the snare to be a touch too prominent. On top of that, there’s an additional little flicker of harmony after the guitar riff that just really works for some reason. The mid song bridge was another huge stand-out for me, and also made me think of the 80s deathrock band 45 Grave (for some weird reason).

“Silver Stallions” rather appropriately opened with the galloping of horses’ hooves. There were some really good riffs in the beginning of this one, but the bass was the big standout for me, with Marta getting more than one occasion to show off her bass-playing. I found this track to be more on the melodic side, injected with a bit of glam or AOR influence perhaps. Oddly enough, Marta almost reminded me of Jan from Vixen here. While this was my cup of tea, I don’t think it will be everyone’s, as the track never quite kicked it into that next gear. Still, I enjoyed it.

With an introductory riff that sounded like the revving of an engine, “Living in the Fast Lane” opened with gusto. Seriously, the tuning and production on the guitars in this one is magic, it really works to give the track a nice dose of personality. But if you want to talk about magic, then look no further than the sequence at around the 3 minute mark. That little piece of this track automatically makes this one a winner in my book. I also really appreciated the speed at which Marta was delivering on the mic, showing that speed isn’t just in how fast you can play but also in how you sing.

At nearly 8 minutes “The New Beginning” is by far the longest track on the album, and showcases a slightly different flavor in its beginning. A slow and methodical riff kicks it off, with a melodic solo soon joining the fray. It was very much a case of opposites attract, it shouldn’t work, but it did. Marta’s vocal delivery here is on another level as well, she’s killing it, injecting so much passion and power in her words. The track maintains that slower tempo, even up to the mid-song bridge section, where we get a right proper 80s ballad style guitar solo. Banger!

“Two Tons of Steel” brought things back to the faster and heavier side of things, but it did keep the more melodic nature of the guitars from the previous track. This is shown most notably during the really sweet riff sequence near the 2:30 mark, I just loved the way that sounded. It’s a simple track, both to its detriment and benefit. It works wonders that it’s an easy to digest number, with some killer guitar (and drum!) work, but I was left wanting a bit more from it. Not sure what it is, but I wanted something more.

“In the Middle of the Night” had another fast-paced riff to start off, yet with a touch more glam and NWOBHM infusion. The real star of the show here though is Marta’s incredible vocals, that I found to be both addicting and almost intoxicating. There’s an almost poetic nature in the way she delivers her lyrics here that I really gravitated toward. It definitely helps matters though that the leadwork is electric throughout. Quick and stellar, this was a fun blitz.

Finally we came to the Helloween cover, “Walls of Jericho/Ride the Sky”. For covers of metal classics, I like to keep things more simple for my reviews. We’re familiar with the sound and the track thus far, but I want to judge how Leatherwitch’s cover performs. As was to be expected by someone of Marta Gabriel’s renown and experience, she does a more than admirable job with this metal mainstay. It’s always tricky with covers over whether I want the artist to merely ‘cover’ the song (i.e. most covers), or reinterpret it (i.e. Type O covering “Black Sabbath”). Both methods are valid, and in this one, Leatherwitch stuck closer to the former, but it worked for me for sure.

Conclusion

Leatherwitch’s debut outing is a fun, and brisk affair that highlights that Marta Gabriel remains a stalwart flag-bearer within the trad metal scene. More than that, the album isn’t merely her ‘playing the hits’ as the saying goes, it is different enough from her prior work. Now, it is still similar to her work with Crystal Viper and her solo album (check that out by the way!), but it isn’t here playing the exact same music under a different name, and I commend that. The real highlight track for me being “The New Beginning” which is on par with the best work of her career, in my opinion.

TheNwothm Score: 8/10

Links

Bandcamp: https://listenable-records.bandcamp.com/album/first-spell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leatherwitchofficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leatherwitchofficial

Label: Listenable Records https://shop-listenable.net/en/1176_leatherwitch