Album Review: Bewitcher - Cursed Be Thy Kingdom
Reviewed by Jon Wigg
Ahh Bewitcher. Fine music from the Pacific NorthWest. 2019’s 'Under the Witching Cross' was right up there with the best albums of that year, with their New Wave of British Heavy Metal steeped speed metal with plenty of nods to that era - Maiden, Priest, Motorhead, Venom - you can hear them all.
2021 brings their third full length, 'Cursed Be Thy Kingdom' and a cracker it is too. This effort has less of the speed, although it’s still present, and a ramping up of the 80’s classic sounds with their trademark blackened, evil touch.
After a haunting instrumental overture, the album kicks off with a couple of higher tempo bangers in ‘Death Returns…’ and ‘Satanic Magick Attack’. Any thoughts that Bewitcher might move away from their trademark evil, hell-laden image, would have been dispelled by the fantastic cover, and fully destroyed by these two tracks. They both crash along with furious riffing, M. von Bewitcher’s raspingly evil vocals and a drum line from A. Hunter that drives everything down towards the depths.
‘Electric Phantoms’ is where the newer, more controlled sound starts to kick in. A mid-paced rocker to start, a slow moody midsection ups the heaviness and builds towards some great soloing. ‘Mystifier (White Night City)’ is more mid-paced from the start and the main riff is superb. This song sounds evil with some great, intense bass action and some great imagery invoked by the lyrics.
‘Cursed Be Thy Kingdom’ is up next and while not filler by any definition, and an excellent track, for me didn’t stand out against some of the other tracks on the album. One of which is ‘Valley of the Ravens’ which demonstrates Bewitcher’s new course change perfectly. This may be the heaviest track here, and is certainly the slowest. A doomy feel has been injected into the main riff and fits in perfectly. The second half has a bluesy solo accompanied by a superb roaming bassline from A. Magus.
‘Metal Burner’ is exactly that - three minutes of classic fast-paced metal that sits on the edge of thrash at times. ‘The Widow’s Blade’ is the album’s epic track that shifts in tempo and style throughout before 80’s classic heavy metal closer ‘Sign of the Wolf’ closes the show.
Bewitcher has produced an album that has no weak points. The performances from all 3 members are superb and all 9 main tracks are excellent, to the point that picking the standout tracks is very difficult, although if I had to they would be ‘Electric Phantoms and ‘The Widow’s Blade’.
‘Cursed Be Thy Kingdom’ is up there in my top albums of 2021 and is well worth checking out.
