Album Review: Wytch Pycknyck – Wytch Pycknyck
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
It’s really hard to know where to start with this one, because having listened to this twice, my senses have been over stimulated, as there is so much going on in this debut release from Wytch Pychnyck. From psychedelic fuzz to stoner rock, spoken word to thrashed out noise, the band traverse many different moods and styles, but somehow, it ALL makes sense.
The four piece from Hastings began as the brainchild of Malt Jones (Guitar & Vocals) and Bonj (Guitar & Vocals) and they started their assault on the UK, playing dates across the UK, before being joined by Sam Davies (Drums) and Ewan Fitzgerald (Bass, Synth & Vocals) after lockdown and the sonic barrage emerged.
And they kick off this crazy adventure with the wonderful line “I wanna party with the animals that live in the zoo” on the aptly entitled 'Rawkuss' which perfectly sums up the opening track as its sheer bedlam from the off. Loud, abrasive and jarring, a real statement of intent, with a subtle mid-section to drag you back down, before the chaos erupts again. The pace gets a bit slower with 'Creepin Jesus' as the music feels more harmonious and textured. Or so I thought, as then it all kicks off again midway through, chaos erupts, and all hell breaks loose. It’s ace!
Then a further twist with a gentle, almost serene opening to 'Magical Revenge' with a softer, cleaner vocal, and for some reason I’m getting a bit of a feel of early At The Drive In on this one, followed by an eerie bass intro from Fitzgerald, to go alongside his other passion for analogue synths, to accompany a spaced out rock number called 'Gravity Lies'. It adds another dimension to the music, whilst still maintaining their trashy garage sound.
Then comes my favourite track, 'Fire Breathing Dragon' as it’s a cacophony of noise, coming at you from all different angles. This is the one that will kick your ass and warp your mind simultaneously, with hard, heavy riffs to go with a pulsating rhythm section and some added synths, to mellow the mood for a bit. It’s a song designed to take you on a journey, and that’s exactly what it does.
'Columbo No.5' blends 70’s and 90’s guitar into a fierce lo-fi stoner groove, with an impressive bass line ripping the flesh out the song, that adds to the stomping fuzz attack before they finish with the ultra-odd 'Frostbite'. With it’s spoken word/rap intro, it transforms into a space rock psychedelic jam with the synths once again grabbing the song by the scruff of its scrawny neck to make an 8-and-a-half-minute song sound amazingly impressive.
This album has got a little bit of everything mixed together and they’ve created a collection of songs that will no doubt excite anyone that listens to it.
