Artist: Witchskull
Album: A Driftwood Cross
Label: Rise Above Records
Style: Doom
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Australia’s Witchskull returned with their third full-length album this last April and yes it is another staggering treat of Stoner/Doom for all the fans out there. Improving somewhat on their sound, expanding the dynamics a bit and throwing in a tad more speed, the three-piece have set a new standard for themselves.
Opening track “Black Cathedrals” is all Doom, slow and powerful and hypnotically repeating riffs as it crushes slowly forward, a sonic thud of muscle and grit. It leads right into “Baphomet’s Child” and the two songs feel inextricably linked to me, as if “Cathedrals” was almost an intro track. Because “Baphomet” rips, throwing in some NWOBHM for good measure, the song just taking off, commercial and smooth but also somehow just as heavy as anything in the underground. “This Silent Place” is next and if you want to hear Witchskull do Grunge, this one is as close as you’re going to get. You can feel the Seattle all over it, and yet it never leaves the Stoner/Doom realm, mashing the two types together. “Red Altar” carries over some of those Grunge vibes, but man is it heavy, truly Doom in the beginning, Grungier towards the middle, and cascading immensity at the end. Past the midway point now, “Dresden” gallops out, full-on NWOBHM, no mistaking this for anything else. A pure and proud headbanger, this one is going to rip some heads off when they play it live. And right when you think it’s about to tear off though the woods and kick down some trees on its way to the Sabbat, it sloooooows down, smoking and smoldering. It’s only a brief rest, because it builds its way right back up and takes off again. The chug keeps going with “March of Winter,” as it takes the speed a notch back, cruising instead of galloping, but that riff is massive and unforgettable. There’s some touches of Classic Rock that add some additional flavor. Next to last on the album is “Nero Order” and it feels like the band is on a roll now, the amps warmed, the sweat dripping. There’s a rumble to this track, a sinister underbelly, heavy just like all that came before, but darker, a bit more mysterious, and headbanging as hell until it bottoms out into that eerie ending. The title track, “A Driftwood Cross” closes the album. It scratches to the surface, brooding and heavy, returning more of the Doom, everything shaking from the bottom end groove. This feels like the end credits, everything sort of reeling out and settling down, until about 3:45 in and a total freak-out occurs, the band shifting quick and deciding nah, they’re gonna pummel you just a little bit more on the way out the door, so you don’t forget their name.
Mystical and heavy, plenty of occult vibes resonating through every song, Witchskull have delivered an excellent album, full of heavy riffs, soulful singing, and a truly crushing rhythm section. It’s hard to believe it’s just three guys doing all this, but you better believe it. Doom is a crowded and clogged field, with lots of decent band vying for your consideration. In the midst of all this, there are a few exemplary bands that should command your full attention, and Witchskull is just such a band. Cream of the crop, and they’ve delivered one hell of a new record.
The Wizard Has Spoken!
Four Wands out of Five
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