Back in 2005 I ended
up more or less by accident in a club that provided cheap beer and long haired
people on a late Saturday night. Little did I know that I was about to witness
one of the best gigs of my life that night. In a corner that served as a poor
excuse for a stage three guys with bell bottoms and long hair were tuning their
instruments. And as they were doing that and checking the tunings a small jam
started to happen. That jam ended up being the start of the actual gig. I was
not at all prepared for what was about to happen. I can only describe it as
pure rock’n’roll magic.
The band that played
that night was Witchcraft and they had just released their self-titled debut
album. Now ten years later Witchcraft has gone from an obscure underground
phenomenon that played 70’s rock that no one gave a shit about back then to one
of the most respected acts of the scene. They are generally considered as
pioneers and forerunners of the whole stoner/retro rock scene these days.
So when the new album
“Nucleus” (Nuclear Blast) was announced a while ago fans of the riff got more
than excited to say the least. And now a taste of what is about to happen is
released in the form of the single “The Outcast”. And there is no reason to calm
down if you are into this kind of rock. Because Witchcraft possesses the same
magic as they did back in 2005 although they have developed immensely since
then as musicians. Mastermind and founder Magnus Pelander has moved forward on
every release by the band and this release is the natural evolution of
Witchcraft since the last album “Legend” back in 2012. It starts out with a
steadfast groove and loud guitars. But then the song shifts into a more mellow
part where Pelanders vocals about how the economy is destroying us and dreams
about a new society gets the center stage. Its powerful and harsh stuff. And I
love it. Witchcraft never ceases to surprise.
“Nucleus” is out 16
January 2016
- The Void
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