ITP V.022 REVIEW: WITCHERY: "NIGHTSIDE"

 

 

 

BAND: WITCHERY (SWEDEN)

GENRE: BLACKENED/THRASH, SPEED METAL

LABEL: CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS

RELEASE DATE: 7/22/2022

TITLE: "NIGHTSIDE"

 

 

PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG) :

 "I AM LEGION", 11/10/2017 via CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS. 

"IN HIS INFERNAL MAJESTY'S SERVICE", 11/25/2016 via  CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS. 

"WITCHKREIG", 6/21/2010 via CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS.

"DON'T FEAR THE REAPER", 2/27/2006 via  CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS..                                                                                                                                     

"SYMPHONY FOR THE DEVIL", 9/24/2001 via NECROPOLIS RECORDS. 

"DEAD, HOT AND READY", 10/22/1999  NECROPOLIS RECORDS. 

"WITCHBURNER" (EP), 3/29/1999 NECROPOLIS RECORDS. 

"RESTLESS AND DEAD", 10/2/1998 via NECROPOLIS RECORDS. . .

 

BEST RELEASE(S): "I AM LEGION" (2017), "IN HIS INFERNAL MAJESTY'S SERVICE" (2016), "RESTLESS AND DEAD" (1998)

 

 

WITCHERY: "NIGHTSIDE"  TRACK-LISTING: 

1. "WITCHING HOUR"

2. "DON'T BURN THE WITCH"

3. "STORM OF THE UNBORN"

4. "ER STEHT IN FLAMMEN"

5. "POPECRUSHER"

6. "LEFTY HAND MARCH"

7. "UNDER ALTAR"

8. "CHURCHBURNER"

9. "CRUCIFIX AND CANDLE"

10. "A FOREST OF BURNING COFFINS"

11. "NIGHTSIDE"

 

 

 

 

 

ITP RATING  *** 1/2
PRODUCTION: *** 1/2
SONGWRITING: *** 1/2
PERFORMANCE: ****

Since 1998, Sweden's WITCHERY have blown minds with their own brand of blackened death metal. 

Here ITP V.022 has WITCHERY'S new release  "NIGHTSIDE". 

WITCHERY'S "NIGHTSIDE" kicks off with "WITCHING HOUR", a tasteful blackened thrash track with a punk edge. WITCHERY'S   "WITCHING HOUR" is charming in it's simplicity, emotive in connection with an audience. 

WITCHERY'S "DON'T BURN THE WITCH" is pure black and roll, simple short and powerful, featuring spoken word and a searing guitar solo. 

WITCHERY'S ."STORM OF THE UNBORN" features simple riffing backed with a dark atmosphere of fear and dread. WITCHERY vocalist ANGUS NORDER blackened rasp is featured prominent doses although the vocals lack variety.   

WITCHERY'S ."ER STEHT IN FLAMMEN"  is a spoken word (in a non English language)  instrumental. 

WITCHERY'S  "POPECRUSHER", a substantially better track than anything on "NIGHTSIDE" so far, features intelligent riffing, good drumming and good guitar solos. "POPECRUSHER" is a total rager of a WITCHERY track. 

WITCHERY'S. "LEFTY HAND MARCH" is a mid paced doomy track,, atmospheric and dark featuring good solos and chunky riffs. 

WITCHERY'S "UNDER ALTAR" is a very short and interesting instrumental with some sick thrash riffing.  "UNDER ALTAR" is an intro for WITCHERY'S next track "CHURCHBURNER". 

WITCHERY'S "CHURCHBURNER". is exactly what you think it's about in all it's blasphemy.   "CHURCHBURNER" rages with some tasty blackened thrash riffing. 

WITCHERY'S "CRUCIFIX AND CANDLE" features tasteful riffing, good songwriting and good musicianship. ."CRUCIFIX AND CANDLE'S lyrics are an extension of  "CHURCHBURNER''S following a similar lyrical concept. 

WITCHERY'S ."A FOREST OF BURNING COFFINS" is another very fast, blackened, thrash metal RAGER with a punk attitude and good solos. .   

WITCHERY'S "NIGHTSIDE" closes with the title track, a moody mid paces affair with a brutal vocal performance via ANGUS NORDER. 

 

 WITCHERY'S latest release  "NIGHTSIDE" features enough blasphemous lyrical content to appease second wave Norwegian black metal fans as perhaps the lyrical concept is an ode to that scene. 

However, only the second half of WITCHERY'S latest release stands up, as "NIGHTSIDE" is a disjointed release. 

The first half of WITCHERY'S "NIGHTSIDE" seems to aim for accessibility and falls into the bore fest category. 

The second half of  WITCHERY'S "NIGHTSIDE" is some downright filthy blackened, death metal with Slayeresque riffs to die for... Regarding WITCHERY, the faster the better as their  short tracks get to the point as they are not trying to do too muchand emote more keeping it simple.

Overall, while WITCHERY aren't reinventing the wheel, there are some great tracks on "Nighhtside" as listeners are in for a hellride. .

ITP RATING  *** 1/2
PRODUCTION: *** 1/2
SONGWRITING: *** 1/2
PERFORMANCE: ****

 

 

WITCHERY: "NIGHTSIDE": 

https://spak-individualthoughtpatterns.blogspot.com/2022/07/witchery-streaming-new-release.html 

ITP V.022 REVIEW: WITCHERY: "NIGHTSIDE" by INDIVIDUAL THOUGHT PATTERNS V.022 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://spak-individualthoughtpatterns.blogspot.com/.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://spak-individualthoughtpatterns.blogspot.com/.

 

 

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-