|
Witchery
|
| By
Vinnie Apicella
Anything but
symphonic. unless you're a Devil of course, and judging by the
unsettling image of a foggy and dark bone yard, this isn't likely to
appeal to those who bear the cross. however what "Symphony,"
and their
creators have created is a sufficiently metallic onslaught that rivals
their many peers of the Scandinavian extremist population here we have
plenty of fits and spurts of Thrash-inducing rage and mind-charring
Metal riff and precision. The ghouls of Gothenburg unleashed originally
in '98, from the remains of Satanic Slaughter set forth to reignite the
flame of the Metal tradition originally forged by the likes of a Slayer,
Possessed, and Venom. Classically inspired and well versed in the dark
ages of the glory years, Witchery, after a short stint where individual
members pursued other varied projects, storm back with this unholiest of
crusades to reintroduce their underground faithful back into their black
league. Indeed, Witchery is masterful in this often overlooked art we've
all come to embrace as Power Metal played at blinding speeds, intuitive
melodies and often bleak imagery, this by no means represents a rehash
of the past or a conjuring of Black Metal's cloud cover, rather
concentrated on the effects of the Jensen shred, slicing forcefully
through perception, availing to a broad body of work that scales Metal's
continually extensive boundaries and then hacking and slicing it to
bloody bits. Survive the early going of "The Storm," and
you'll quickly
uncover a welcome discovery with the many available gems that litter
this barren ground of unsettled souls-"Unholy Wars,"
"Inquisition,"
"Bone Mill." speed-driven, pulverizing all told while the
latter
grinds to dust any thoughts of a quick escape. Stand 'em up next to the
aforementioned old-schoolers and you're halfway home, next we'll pair
'em up with latter day threats as a Kreator, or The Haunted, and drive
home two more nails to the coffin by sticking around for their bonus
additions of redrawn classic tracks-"Enshrined," and "The
One Within,"
first bore of the earliest days of SS-and when the dust settles and the
mist forebodes a chilling presence, "Symphony For The Devil"
is an
amazing from out of nowhere accomplishment essential for both the living
and dead that walk the earth.
|
More from the Online Metal Journal |
|
|
|
|