Time flies and I must admit that the avalanche of new releases in the Stoner, Sludge and Doom genres can wear us off. As musical junkies, we keep looking for the excitement, the stroke of genius that will get us through this artistic gloom. Don’t get me wrong, many projects are fascinating enough for us to get our dose, one can’t deny that the abundance of records ends up being a heavy weight to carry for those (like us) who have been listening to this genre for way longer than anyone less than 20-year old would.
Therefore, I first listened to Witchpit’s new effort “Forever Spoken” within this autumnal context and without any pre-conceptualized expectations. Their first record resonated with me but I felt like the band was still trying to find its identity and was not distancing itself from its influences enough. It’s not a bad thing as such but it led me to forget about them a little too easily (the lack of European touring is likely a reason too).
And yet, a little miracle took place. With this new album, we’re still confronted with this typical Sludge from the American South East but there is one detail that makes it a delightful release: the riffs are very inspired. Don’t look for a revolution here, you came to eat some gravel and get your fix of violence directly blasted into your eardrums.
While many bands trying their luck in this genre are rather generic-sounding, Witchpit’s riffs all have this little something that catches our attention. Right from the opening self-titled track “Forever Spoken” and this palm-muted riff, I realized the band has reached the next step in their career. Let’s look at the excellent “Through Eyes of Apathy” for example. Be it by chords in a classic Crowbar fashion, screamed vocals on the verge of death metal, or even this short and intense guitar solo: everything hits the right spot. Not to mention the striking production quality!
If I emphasized guitars this much, it does not mean the rest of the band is only there for decoration. The bass is rough, the drums are quite metal-sounding for the genre, while vocals are powerful, masterful and offer a variety that we had not witnessed yet with Witchpit. The band even taps into stoner metal territory with the anthemic and headbang-inducing “Mouth Piece of Hate”. The mid-tempo “Panacea” surprises us with an unusual chord progression, epic guitar harmonies and a perfect solo.
“New Age Fallacy” perfectly highlights this subtle mix of intensity and originality in riffs. Right from the beginning, we leave back the traditional power chords and it is, then, by using a less obvious rhythm that the track sticks to your head. Undeniably my favorite track on the record and the spoken words section is probably the main reason. It is, finally, with the heavy and powerful “Silver Turns to Rust” that we conclude this short trip in sludge territory, with yet another small surprise with this prog-esque part that catches us regularly through the course of the track.
Witchpit signs with this second record the best we can hope for in the genre: a regressive, powerful and unexpected pleasure. The band simply demonstrates that the difference between an ok tier album and a real treasure is usually quite thin. You need to have the inspiration and to concentrate on your strengths without any filler songs. Mission accomplished!
Last modified: 15 December 2024
