Denmark has some legendary bands, Witch Cross are a name that crops up a lot. Their seminal classic from 1984 ‘Fit for Fight’ is well referenced. Indeed, a few years back in 2013 they returned with ‘Axe to Grind’. For me, this didn’t have the impact of their debut, but still, the flame remained lit and this year we have ‘Angel of Death’ that is a marked improvement with vibrant songs and strong arrangements having finally completed the song writing process in 2017. Yes, the recording took some time and was ready to be mixed (by Mike Exeter – who’s worked with Priest, Sabbath and Cradle of Filth) at the tail end of 2019 resulting in just over 44 minutes of pounding Danish steel.
As the guitarist Mike Koch states, “the last album ‘Axe to Grind’ was definitely much more a link to the past than this album is”. After becoming a more dynamic band live, the new album does reflect this with a darker, more powerful stance as loosely quoted in the PR material. You will also find some more epic tracks on ‘Angel of Death’ also.
So getting into the material itself, full opening track and album title ‘Angel of Death’ which picks up the pace, uses some simple riffs, but makes a big impression. In some respects, Saxon would be a good pointer. Witch Cross nailed the bright verse and come in a touch sinister for the bridge. Total control, total representation of the lyrics. ‘Evil Eye’ is reverb led heavy metal, classic metal chugging with a blistering opening solo. I would give late 70’s Priest a nod here. However, it’s in a style akin to the Scandinavian scene, a touch of keyboards for sound augmentation too. The love the riff after two minutes leading into the solo. ‘Last Rites’ is simpler, more mid-tempo progressive, perhaps not the best track on the album but it shows diversity on the album. ‘Warrior’ has all the classic Scandinavian metal traits includes, it has a great sense and flow of vocal melody hand in hand with the guitar, perhaps even some early Michael Schenker material. ‘Phoenix Fire’ delves into the bands Viking heritage, not a deliberate stance, the band themselves state that it’s unintentional but there always seems to be a track about Vikings! Riff heavy, metal heavy, it’s a galloping juggernaut. The kick drums comes through well in the mix also. The vocal harmonies on the chorus bring a nice sense of expansion to the track.
Overall, this is such a marked improvement over ‘Axe to Grind’, the mastering (by Jacob Hansen – Volbeat and Pretty Maids) of the preceding recording is loud and balanced perfectly. Witch Cross have a genuine album that may prevent them being revered so much to their debut, of course that is a classic, but ‘Angel of Death’ sits comfortably alongside that material and shows Witch Cross moving forwards and providing a generation of experience that is relevant and competitive in 2021 whilst retaining the Witch Cross mantle and style.
(8.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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