From The Ashes...

Mountain Witch ~ Burning Village (2016)

This review has resided in limbo for well over a month now. At the behest of our good friends over at This Charming Man Records, I've been sat Burning Village for longer than I care to remember, and being a long term diehard fan of the band, it fair to say it's nearly killed me.
I will however open with this - For those of you who have followed Mountain Witch over the years, you may be somewhat taken a back by trio's most recent sound. It's out with the traditional sombre doom-groove and in with something wholly more, well, retro. Fortunately the change to the band's dynamic has been pretty gradual, with the introduction of a third member and the subsequent release of Cold River, the band laid the ground work for what they have progressed to today. So the exchange of fuzz to funk shouldn't pose too much of a shock to the system. Fear not though, when I say that (often dreaded) four letter F word, they've not gone all stacked heels and slap bass. Don't think Bootsy Collins, no, instead imagine if Grand Funk had one day picked up a Ouija board and got heavily into the works of Aleister Crowley and Vincent Price, then gone on to release We're an American Doom Band... this is exactly how that would have sounded.
Straight out of the gates Burning Village states it's new and uncompromising intentions and opening with a subtle use of Hammer-House-esque samples they've managed to reaffirm that not all of the band's doom heavy origins have been cast to the back burner. Not by a long shot. While the tone, song structure and production all feel like they've been pulled right out of the early 70's the trio have managed to craft something that by the same token still feels heavily modern and unique. Not that the aforementioned is in anyway a band thing. Hell, I long for a return to those simpler, analogue days, and after the bitter disappointment that was Uncle Acid's Night Creeper earlier in the year, it's fantastic to hear an album that can actually conjure up all that retro feeling and essence while not feeling precocious or like the audible equivalent of watching paint dry. Sure, many of you who've become akin to the slower and darker of the band's first three outings may not be instantly won over or drawn to Burning Village, but I urge you to give it a few listens. Once the initial shock of the change has settled in, you can, and no doubt will, see exactly what this album is - An absolute powerhouse of early 70's inspired occult rock filled with more satisfying riff hungry eeriness than a Pentagram encore at a black mass under a full moon on October 31st.
The pre order for the album goes up on the 23rd of January (this Monday), and has been carefully crafted by our buddies over at This Charming Man Records, and will be available in two colours.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Saint Vitus, Sir Lord Baltimore, Moon Curse, Highway Robbery, Phantomass 

Facebook • Bandcamp

~

Return Of The Witch...

Mountain Witch ~ Cold River (2013)

I must admit, I'd not planned to put this up until the whole album was actually available, but it was just too goddamn good to sit on, plus what better way to start your weekend than sit back and bathe in the warm sonic delights of Germanys finest doom trio?
When Renee told me Mountain Witch had once again reformed and he was hitting up the studio, to say I was excited was somewhat of an understatement. Both Scythe & Dead Horse and the Self Titled albums have pride of place within my record collection and rarely find themselves further than a foot away from my turntable. But that probably has something to do with the fact I possess two copies of both and the test presses, so you could really stand anywhere in my house and not be all that far from these guys. Yeah, I guess you could say I'm a a fan.
So the prospect of a brand new album, being backed by the good folks over at This Charming Man Records pleased me no end. But this was towards the start of the year and I've had to spend month after month eagerly awaiting the new cuts of inevitably fuzzy and retro German doom. So last week when I got a message to tell me to check out the new track I felt like a weight had been lifted. Months of anticipation had drawn to a close, and I just hoped that it would be the same caliber as the old material...
So whats new with the Witch? Well, pretty much everything to tell you the truth. Where the previous outings sort of straddled both the acid rock and dooms genres this new approach sees them step slightly away from the former and place a foot firmly in classic rock instead. Not to say that they've abandoned their acid rock roots entirely, hell no. That haunting groove and occult feel is still there in bucket loads, but now their sound focuses more towards that whole tone that Sabbath so beautifully crafted over four decades ago. It's darker, more somber and arguably more textured than before. There seems to have been a real and tangible progression in their song writing. To the point where you could be excused for mistaking them for and entirely different band altogether. Thats a pretty impressive feat being as they've managed to completely alter their sound without biting off more than they can chew, which is a hell of a rarity and seldom pays off when attempted by many a band. The other most noticeable aspect of this new material are the inclusion of vocals. Yeah, the past records had a smattering of lyrics here and there, but they were never really the focus and took more of a back seat behind the fuzz. Which worked great, as they flowed more fluidly along with the tempo and produced a beautifully eerie ambiance. But now they guys have really stepped up their game and given Renee a real front man status. It really does pay off too, as the same dark creepiness resonates through his lyrics as before but now they really work effortlessly to paint a picture for each song.
At the end of the day the chaps have taken a punt and tried something new and substantially different to their previous works, but it's worked fantastically! So if you, like me, were bitterly disappointed with Sabbath's 13 and just longed for them to return to their roots and crank out something gritty, dark and fundamentally old-school then you really should pick up Cold River because it ticks all those bloody boxes and more. It's bloody brilliant!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Black Sabbath, Windhand, Moss, Elder, Spelljammer

Facebook • Bandcamp • LastFM • BigCartel

~

Waxing Lyrical - Vinyl Review...

Mountain Witch - Self Titled (2011)

I really wish I'd properly discovered this band before they split just recently. I'm kicking my self now!

You could quite easily take a glance at the cover and name then pigeon hole this band along side the many other shambolic death/black metal bands that pop up every now and then. But hold your horses, as appearances can be very deceiving...
I will confess that when I put this record on and was met with the 5 minutes of ambient fuzz and organs of the opening track I initially felt a little disheartened. But then when that gives away to the powering, catchy riffs, thumping bass and crashing symbols all past judgements instantly fly out the window. Theres no vocals to speak of, but that doesn't really take away from the enjoyment. It merely gives them the adage of being compared to a vocal-less Electric Wizard or a slightly less biting yet more trippy Karma To Burn.
It's kind of strange, as on the face of things Mountain Witch don't look entirely like you expect them to sound. Theres a definite influx of sludge and doom running through the entirety of the album but its composition and the way its produced lends itself towards a classic psych and slightly desert/southern rock sounding angle. It's a short but impressive little release and something I reckon 99% of you will really dig. Which is why I've also put a link to their first album and predecessor to this; Scythe & Dead Horse. An record which I am desperately searching for on wax.

I really hope the guys can reform a similar incarnation and produce more material because it would be a bloody waste if they didn't!

• Label: Droehnhaus

• Pressing Info: 100 Clear - 200 Black

• Price: £10/$15 - £18/$25

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Sleep, Karma To Burn, Electric Wizard, Kamni, Thunder Horse

Myspace • Facebook

Witch Mountain (320kbps) 

Scythe & Dead Horse (320kbps)