Of course, the end result of all this combined power is largely what you choose to make of it; Witch the album doesn't boast "highlights" so much as a series of subtle variations on one, supremely executed mood. All of the songs adhere to essentially the same formula: Start slow and steady on the main riffs, speed up to double-time for the solos, then bring the tempo back down for an even heavier grind on the outro. What works and what doesn't is largely a matter of preference. Want more slow, less fast? Try "Hand of Glory." Prefer the rapid-fire solos? "Rip Van Winkle"'s your man. Wanna hear Thomas let loose with a remarkably Ozzy-esque cackle? That'd be "Black Saint." And it's just about as simple as that.
But seriously, who needs hooks when we can headbang? Witch clearly sets out to be an entertaining genre project first and foremost - one, ideally, that will rock our asses off in the process - and as such, the band does not disappoint. The rock is hard, the lyrics are ridiculous, and the cover art - depending on what generation of stoner culture you hail from - resembles either a black-light poster or a Commodore 64 role-playing game. What more do you need, a final song which begins with finger-picked acoustic guitar a la "Stairway to Heaven" before building to a thrashing, shuddering, sign of the beast-flashing climax? Well guess what - you've got that too. Fact is, if there's even a shred of heaviosity in your system, then Witch will please you like nothing else. Go ahead, crank it... and if you don't immediately feel the urge to grow a scraggly mustache and invest in a fur-lined jean jacket, try checking your pulse.
Reviewed by Zach Hoskins
Article comments