Angel Witch
Angel Witch

1980, in England the N.W.O.B.H.M. exploded, giving rise to bands intent on revolutionizing metal as it was known until then. Bands such as Iron Maiden, Saxon, Diamond Head, Tigers Of Pan Tang, and many others played their part in this new English metal wave. Angel Witch were, for a brief period, among the leading exponents of heavy metal, reaching their creative peak with this dark debut. It is no surprise that the American thrash scene, which would emerge a few years later, would be heavily influenced by this work.

The title track opens the album with a lightning guitar solo by Kevin Heibourne, and all the pathos and energy of the trio are unleashed. The chorus etches directly into the listener's brain never to leave, "Atlantis", even faster, is supported by Heibourne's guitar work and a pounding rhythm section (Ridles on bass and Hogg on drums). Darkness quickly descends with the sinister "White Witch" with its constant changes of atmosphere and lyrics focused on occult themes. The class of the three always shines through, but it must be said that the production and sounds are rather raw. The harsh "Confused", with its twisted riffs, recalls the earliest songs of the Danish band Mercyful Fate. "Sorcerers" inevitably brings to mind the most sulfurous Black Sabbath with its slowed rhythms and Heibourne's vibrant singing. Indeed, throughout the album, the specter of the black sabbath looms undisturbed. A dark and sparkling arpeggio and "Gorgon" unfolds suggestively, full of tempo changes and slowdowns. With "Sweet Danger" one is engulfed in hard rock atmospheres, but it is with the following "Free Man"—a melancholic, powerful, and moving ballad—that one breathes desolate yet wonderful air with the emotional peak in the epic refrain. Track 9 is the most violent moment of the album, the "Angel Of Death" which influenced an army of future thrashers with its sadistic and cruel advance and a guitar power that was unique for the time. There is still time for the instrumental and sinister "Devil's Tower", atmospheric and slow at the beginning, exploding into a powerful and emphasized finale.

The Angel Witch were a very unfortunate band; after this spectacular debut, the line-up disintegrated, and the 2 subsequent albums ('84 and '86) failed to even come close to the atmosphere and compositional vein of this evocative and brilliantly dark debut. The black pearl of the N.W.O.B.H.M., the quintessence of classic metal.