Witch Cross
Fit For Fight

Denmark. An unusual nation for metal, at least until the end of the seventies through all the eighties. One, perhaps the only, band that had the courage to delve into the musical panorama was Witch Cross, an interesting cult metal band.

The Copenhagen quintet consists of Alex Savage on vocals, Mike Wlad and Cole Hamilton on guitar, Little John Field on bass, and A.C. on drums. Witch Cross has a sound that is decidedly close to the N.W.O.B.H.M. and the eight tracks, contained in their only work, are really interesting. After three demos, recorded between 1981 and 1982, they managed to record their true debut in 1984, titled "Fit For Fight." Despite a rather original and somewhat curious cover, Witch Cross demonstrates from the first track that they have drive and skill to spare. The songs are simple and linear, easy to memorize, but manage to convince and surprise immediately.

The opener "Night Flight To Tokyo" is the usual piece that perfectly embodies the rock 'n' roll spirit! That is, energy, a simple but effective riff, the "classic" bright voice, and the good chorus that makes the composition even more wild. It seems easy! The following "Face Of A Clown" and "Rocking The Night Away" are, for me, the real peaks of the entire batch. The first, after a dark introduction, bursts into a thrilling track...the voice is supported by a perfect rhythm section and fast, very technical guitar work. Wlad and Hamilton indulge in a cascade of wonderful solos, while the chorus is truly irresistible...really interesting. The second also maintains the excellent levels of "Face Of A Clown", thanks to the promising introduction, embellished by the guitarists who, in their virtuosity, manage to demonstrate their technique. Songs that really need to be listened to, because they absolutely deserve it, but unfortunately, these works are now hard to find.

"Killer Dogs" and "Fight The Fire" have a more epic stamp and melodies that definitely remind me of American metal, like Riot's "Thundersteel" and Warlord. The sound is more considered and gives more space and prominence to the vocal and instrumental melody. Perhaps, "Killer Dogs" is the most complicated and technical track, thanks also to the beautiful drum solo in the third minute. Impeccable. After the instrumental "Axe Dance", we arrive at the great "Light Of A Torch", where the airy voice is accompanied by a crescendo full of pathos that is broken by a series of powerful riffs and the usual introductory solos, thus transforming the track into a great ride. Vocalist Alex Savage makes the most of his talents and reaches fairly high peaks, unleashing in the irresistible chorus, while in the meantime the other band members reach truly high speeds. Pure adrenaline! The last track on the disc is "Alien Savage", a song not inferior to the others, which satisfactorily concludes this interesting and rare Danish metal disc.

An album that is definitely suitable for genre completists, but I also recommend it to those who want to approach N.W.O.B.H.M. and eighties metal for the first time. These are Witch Cross and this is the metal that was in the air twenty years ago in Scandinavia!