Can it really be way back in 2017 that Witchery had their last album? Well, Jensen’s Swedish dark blackened thrash crew are back with another album, along with another line-up change. Victor Brandt, who it turns out had actually toured a lot with the band anyway replaces Sharlee D’Angelo, who is concentrating on Arch Enemy from this point in. Rik Rimfalt (a.k.a. Richard Corpse) remains on the other guitar, while Chris Barkensjo returns on the drums. Finally, the vocalist from “I am Legion” returns, Angus Norder. There are a couple of neat guest spots here and there too on this album; the mighty Jeff Walker has a guest vocalist spot, while the Hank Sherman (Mercyful Fate) adds his guitar talents for a solo. Also appearing are Simon Johanson (Wolf, Memory Garden) and Maciek Ofstad from the bafflingly popular Kvelertak.
This time round, the creepy quintet have chosen to produce a concept album about a witch who flees persecution in Europe to find a new life in the new world. In typical Witchery fashion, this is a blackened thrash album that has plenty of roots in the spooky styling of classic Mercyful Fate, and it’s all the better for it. Some tracks on here are really just rollicking old school heavy metal anthems – such as the “Storm of the Unborn” with its NWOBHM by way of Hammer Horror main riff and keyboard stylings. Numbers like the absolutely pummelling “Popecrusher” lean on the heavier side of the band, with the kind of blistering tempo that the likes of The Crown peddle in, but with that trademark sharp edge that Witchery bring. Elsewhere, Witchery branch out and try some new things, as with the almost-industrial stomp of “Left Hand March”.
“Crucifix and Candle” really does have a classic Mercyful Fate vibe to it, with the growling main riff and the atmospheric soloing accentuating the evil vibe. It’s on “A Forest of Burning Coffins” that the band get their most extreme, with the duelling vocals of Jeff Walker battling it out with Angus while the song rattles long like Slayer on amphetamines. Album closer and title track “Nightside” is an eery doom song, and certainly the slowest track that the lads have ever produced, and is an out and out haunter.
Nightside is the most coherent that Witchery have been for a very long time; it’s an album with no filler that tells an interesting story and has great tracks on it start to finish. I can only hope that this is the new normal for a band that has an embarrassment of fantastic tracks in its back catalogue. W!
(9/10 Chris Davison)
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