From Hell to eternity, BEWITCHER’s blasphemous mission remains unfailingly the same – playing razor sharp, unforgettable heavy metal from festival stages to the darkest recesses of small clubs across the world. “We still have to earn it every night,” says Magus. “We’re going to go grind it as hard as we can and win over as many people as we can. That’s Bewitcher and that’s the essence of heavy metal itself.”  Spell Shock, the speed demons’ latest, raises BEWITCHER’s horns and pushes their extremes straight into the fiery red. From its eye-grabbing-and-gouging artwork by Italian horror maestro Solo Macello, to songs like the haunting “We Die in Dust”, to the epic closing track “Ride of the Iron Fox”, that banger is BEWITCHER at their most evolved and most devastatingly primal. So, let’s make the most of it!

REVIEW:

Opening with a piece of confession here – heard the name of the band of occasions, yet never truly got familiar with what they do on the metal ground. That might have been a miss or a bliss, making me a clean canvass for forthcoming impressions and totally unbiased to what I am about to hear, feel and potentially emotionalize, navigating through this promising eleven-songs effort.

Cranking it up is “Starfire Maelstrom”, a stellar title for an opener welcomes us with some intergalactic space noise to scrub off our ears from any previous musical leftovers. And bang! Direct hit of drumming and piercing guitars conquers the atmosphere, spiced with wonderful deep vocals delivery. The vibe is thrashy and the mood hyped. Love this open statement of metal prowess and from the first attempt, the band is scoring a hit point here. The bridge takes to more peaceful, even groovy territory to be smashed by a short chainsaw buzzing solo and taped with an uncompromising last verse for a finish.

“Lavish Desecration” comes next, loyal to the pattern already set by the first banger, yet putting the bar bit higher in terms of speed and richness of the composition. Not so straightforward steamroller style as its predecessor, spiced by barely noticeable black rock-and-roll snippets, the vocals still being the main show maker, however all the instruments fall so much in place, as if this was created in a single take of ingenuity, blessed by creative insanity. Perhaps it’s a bit of a longs shot, nevertheless giving it a second, third and fourth listen, that piece increasingly invokes sensations similar to these I experience when listening to linchpin bands like MIDNIGHT or DESTROYER 666. Strike two for BEWITCHER and now I am 100% committed to have more! And what better treat than the title track!?

“Spell Shock” hits the ground running with a crunching riff, setting the main musical thing to be carried out all along the duration. Amazing kick-in from Mateo Von Bewitcher, that made me almost jump up from my chair and start banging. Moments later I actually did that, when the spell shock shout-outs of the chorus truly catapulted me. No remorse, no repent! True to my maniacal live gigs alter ego, immediately pictured in my fantasy what would be like to have this experience when the band is ripping the stage off on some underground metal festival. No time for daydreaming though, since the next mesmerising element bewitches me right of the bat. Halfway through, there is a sudden, yet natural change of pace bridging to a long musical interlude, that turns to be a gallant demonstration of indisputable musicianship. No box left unchecked, including a delicate guitar solo to roundtrip us back on the fast lane. The ghost of good old MOTORHEAD hovers all around, which puts big smile on my face. Three out of three and we have barely scratched the surface. Out of the spell shock and already

“Out Against The Law”. Those boys take no break, when going full throttle in their fourth creation of this merciless sequence. From the initial title shout-out to the last fading chords, we find here the kind of catchy earworm that you swallow on a single breath. The overwhelming excitement of joy and playfulness is overtly reinforced by the rock-and-roll aesthetic, clear instrumental presence and vocal exuberance. It all boils down to a flamboyant party mix, which I am sure will have a stunning side effect of making good number of partygoers to stand up and shake it. No way to ignore the masterful guitar solo here, that sank in a perfect alignment with the framework tonality, without sticking out like a sore thumb. The only disappointment is the duration – three minutes are simply not enough to enjoy it to the fullest.

Next, on the hot chair we invite “Dystopic Demonolatry” and while I adore wording combos with repetitive first letter, pronouncing this (especially “demonolatry”) was hell of tongue twister. No joke with the drumming intro, that clearly sets the tone and kind of opens a new chapter in the expressive style of the album. This banger is way richer in musical ornaments, boldly introducing thrashy elements, while keeping beautiful balance between vocals and each individual instrument. Strongly recommend going through this piece a number of times and I guarantee you on each run you’ll find another hidden gem, which is not overstated, yet foundational to the final output. Changes of tempo, reverberating singing, layered guitar work – you have it all. Perhaps it doesn’t qualify for a flagship hit of the album, nevertheless deserving great respect and acknowledgment. And, oh boy, this explosive last chorus amassing megatons of demonic wickedness!

“Seasons of Foul Harvest” follows suit and from the very start it sensed bit weird to me. Abrupt change of emotion and to great extent different way the band sounded, that immediately felt out of place. No idea if this was just a matter of diverse production approach or an experimental frivolity, yet till the end it all looked fragmented and clumsily pieced together, kind of Frankenstein, composed by creative leftovers. By far we can grant certain accolades to the leading vocals, that remain a constant, while the rest is way closer to a cliché than to a classic. Midway mark we trace the lowest point of the release so far, which no way harms the collective excitement of this journey.

Lucky number #7, “We Die In Dust” puts things back on track, sacrificing speed and sound solidity on the dark alter of vile monotony. The bass section is what reigns here, putting on the throne sonorous vox emperor, capable of delivering one of a kind anthemic chorus. We are rolled over by a well-oiled soulless piece of machinery that operates on a single gear of illicit wickedness, while spreading ethereal downfall of doom. Right on the two minutes mark, BEWITCHER shift that gear right to nitro racing mode, making a notable U-turn in the composition development. Definitely a smart and recharging move, going turbo before cooling down to the default beat of marching splendor.

Right after we find ourselves pulled in a “The Harem Conspiracy” and really curious what stands behind this kinky and teasing title? Few opening seconds with whirlwind and chains clanking before we get the welcoming punch of the battering riff, that’s showing where this tune is heading to. The dominating motive is aggressive, guitar oriented and rhythmic to a level in which we find ourselves in a state of self-conscious uncontrolled headbanging. Interesting interlude deep in around 2:30 mark, filled with chimes and noticeably slowed-down stride, as if the narrative takes us on an execution procession. Those lyrics pieces that pop-up make me think we’re facing one of them “sword and sorcery” themed tracks, more typical for other subgenres and while we hardly consider it a stand out piece, it’s definitely well shaped and matches the album toolset.

“Pagan Shadows” comes next with bit of an acoustic greeting, the one of being refreshing and nice for a change. Really loved this tempo and beat, making it end to soon and I really needed more of that. Well done on the country guitars though.

A real spot on. It’s closing time and this dish comes in the form of “Ride Of The Iron Fox”. Another portion of that tasty rock-and-roll flavour booming and dooming all around. Man, love this style of banging the sound out of every note. Having it all on display, the bass, the drums and the shout out vocal part. I mean it… that is the piece I would love hearing live and that solo in the middle…Just to die for. Оh,wait! There is more! Surprise, surprise …there is this first track in the stack, “Starfire Maelstrom”, with a single edit. Well, made me love it even more. That’s real metal out from the forge and you got me into that. Well done!

CONCLUSION:

In all honesty, BEWITCHER got me hooked. This album checks all the main boxes and really would love hearing more of the band’s previous creations. Maybe not going to make if in my Top 10 of the year ranking, however a definite qualifier in my “To buy” list and the moment I spot in the shelf it’s a right bite. Definitely advise everyone to do so and more over looking to see these guys live during one of my next metal journeys.

TheNWOTHM Score: 9/10