Witchery
Witchkrieg

Take a good look at the cover: a ruthless undead general stands out against the background, where his evil subordinates, under an infernal sky populated with diabolical beings, advance relentlessly, devastating churches and bringing with them death and destruction. Observe and prepare yourselves: if you close your eyes while listening to "Witchkrieg," you'll find yourself there, among those decaying uniforms and voracious flames.

Four years after "Don't Fear The Reaper", the Swedish supergroup Witchery returns more vicious and pissed off than ever. Just listen to the first filthy riff of the title track to get a sense of what awaits us: a raw and extremely violent album, a bubbling cauldron where a Thrash/Death metal potion simmers, made tastier with a sprinkle of Black and clearer with some NWOBHM riffs here and there. The continuous changes of rhythm present in the CD make it capable of trapping the helpless listener and never boring: from songs that verge on Death, such as "Wearer Of Wolf's Skin", to slower (euphemism) tracks yet still able to stun (listen to "The God Who Fell From Earth", perhaps the darkest and brightest star of the album). Between melody and brutality, anxiety slithers, growing by the minute, exploding into "Hellhound", where the atmosphere created by Richard Corpse and Patrik Jensen's guitars evokes astonishingly the idea of a desperate and futile escape from the black hound. In the track that seals the work, "Witch Hunter", it comes close to total agony: continually interrupted by disturbing noises, whispers from the underworld, and cavernous voices, the melody slowly fades into oblivion. The listener can breathe a sigh of relief, but Witchery has warned them: the nightmare is not over; evil has merely taken a break.

From a sound standpoint, the group risen from the ashes of Satanic Slaughter has little to be anything but proud about: the bass is truly remarkable (after all, it's the former Arch Enemy Sharlee D'Angelo, no small potatoes) and the growls of the former Marduk singer Erik "Legion" Hagstedt, a substantial new entry, not only steer the album in a black direction, but also adapt splendidly to the tracks: thus ranging from the near-speaking in "The God Who Fell From Earth" to the terrifying screams in "Conqueror's Return". The guitar solos, then, are often played by truly exceptional guests: the legendary Kerry King from Slayer ("Witchkrieg"), Hank Shermann from Mercyful Fate ("The God Who Fell From Earth"), Gary Holt and Lee Altus from Exodus ("The Reaver"), Andy LaRocque from King Diamond ("From Dead To Worse"), and Jim Durkin from Dark Angel ("One Foot In The Grave"). Yet, despite all this, the album presents some flaws that can make it unpalatable, primarily the very lack of originality and the production, which, in my opinion, has made the sound overly powerful.

Notwithstanding that "Witchkrieg" is a genuine punch in the 2010 scene (and I highly recommend it to extreme metal enthusiasts), multiple listens can only lead me to utter the classic and bitter sentence: "it's a product for fans only".