Album & EP Reviews

Witchery – Nightside

Nightside Album Cover Art

Witchery – Nightside
Century Media Records
Release Date: 22/07/22
Running Time: 35:47 
Review by Rick Eaglestone
7/10

Masters of infernal metal since the 90’s, Sweden’s Witchery are poised to release their most undeadly ambitious album to date; “Nightside”.

The band waste no time in attempting to raise the dead with opening track ‘Witching Hour’, which is a non-stop rollercoaster of furious beats and solo’s – great start to the album and an early contender for my highlight track. But then the intro to ‘Don’t Burn the Witch’ hits, and this my fellow metal fan has to be my highlight track!! It has the aura of Satyricon’s ‘Fuel for Hatred’ about it too, which is an added bonus.

The album continues to flow with ‘Storm of the Unborn’ and interludial ‘Er Steht in Flammen’ before the unholy trinity of ‘Popecrusher’ ‘Left Hand March’ & instrumental ‘Under the Altar’ take hold of the middle section. The first two tracks of this trinity are heavy, but they in no way compare to the sheer ferocity that is ‘Churchburner’! I am honestly taken aback just how fast and heavy it is in parts – more of this please.

‘Crucifix and Candle’ has the best start to a track of the entire album, and when most of the lyrical content is effectively The Lord’s Prayer, you can’t help but appreciate just how wonderfully blasphemous it is! Also, it has a wonderful solo towards the end, and if that wasn’t enough, the band casually unleash ‘A Forest of Burning Coffins’ which is maybe even heavier than ‘Churchburner’.

The album concludes with the ominous and foreboding title track ‘Nightside’, which for me personally finishes this album off in just the right way.

Heavy metal witchcraft at its finest.

‘Popecrusher’ Official Video

TRACKLISTING:
01. Witching Hour
02. Don’t Burn the Witch
03. Storm of the Unborn
04. Er steht in Flammen
05. Popecrusher
06. Left Hand March
07. Under the Altar
08. Churchburner
09. Crucifix and Candle
10. A Forest of Burning Coffins
11. Nightside

LINE-UP:
Angus Norder – Vocals 
Jensen – Rhythm Guitars
Rickard Rimfält – Rhythm and Solo Guitars
Victor Brandt – Bass Guitar
Chris Barkensjö – Drums 

LINKS:

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