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Witchcraft: Legend
08/11/12 || Habakuk
Anyone waiting for the new Graveyard album? Well, heads up. Not me, but just read on, it’ll make sense in a minute. Now while I remember catching some flak for not loving Graveyard’s Hisingen Blues to bits last year, time has at least confirmed me in my opinion of that album – It’s still good, but definitely not near any kind of frequent rotation. It did however open my ears to the kind of psychedelia-influenced 70s rock they revamped, and Witchcraft, who bring some stoner leanings to that mix now profit from that.
Coming also from Sweden, these guys have apparently worked for five years on their sophomore, and I guess that bit of time in the rehearsal room paid off: “Legend” pushes all the right buttons with me. It just feels to me that the songs on this album go somewhere, and you don’t have to dissect them to find that out, or “get in the mood” first. Vocalist Magnus Pelander’s clear and pretty awesome voice easily grabs you and sets the general direction from which the guitars can branch out into melodic forays without distracting from the sense of purpose, with the prominent bass guitar adding its share to the overall image. Speaking of images – that’s a great cover artwork, by the way.
Anyway, the band, like their labelmates Graveyard, keep to a pretty laidback and down-to-earth sound, but not for the sake of it. There is a good, sharp edge to the guitars, and I sense a bit more punch in these here songs – not just in terms of production. The first instance you’ll notice that is one minute into the opening track – what I at first took for some disappointingly derivative sludge doodling regains focus in an instant and turns more towards Hellacopters-styled rock than anything, just to take it easier towards the end again and let the lead guitars shine. And that’s what’s symptomatic for the entire record. Yes, the band do wander off, and yes, they try all sorts of things – but there is a common thread running through the songs and thus, the album. Big ups from me for that, because it makes this a great listen without becoming formulaic, plain and simple.
Combine that with hooks and the power of the riff (It’s not because of you and others) and we have ourselves a strong and fresh attempt at melodic stoner rock that doesn’t delve in recitals alone to succeed.
- Information
- Released: 2012
- Label: Nuclear Blast Records
- Website: www.witchcrafthome.com
- Band
- Magnus Pelander: guitars, vocals
- Tom Jandelius: guitars
- Simon Solomon: guitars
- Ola Henriksson: bass
- Oscar Johansson: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Deconstruction
- 02. Flag of fate
- 03. It’s not because of you
- 04. An alternative to freedom
- 05. Ghosts house
- 06. White light suicide
- 07. Democracy
- 08. Dystopia
- 09. Dead end
- 10. By your definition (bonus track)
