Arch Blade – Kill the Witch
Rockshots Records
Release Date: 28/07/23
Running Time: 46:49
Review by Paul Hutchings
6/10
Traditional heavy metal, combined with regular forays into the thrash and even power metal world. That’s my description of Los Angeles quintet Arch Blade, whose debut album “Kill the Witch” is what we are talking about here. Four years into their journey, and the band have produced a solid debut, with plenty to get stuck into over the 47 minutes and ten tracks.
It’s muscular, no-holds barred metal that starts with the thunderous ‘Abduction’. Elements of Maiden, Priest, and a whole host of thrashers cascade out of the speakers. With bits of Testament, Anthrax, and Iced Earth, there are hundreds of influences that scream at you. In Denys Podmazko they have a vocalist likely to polarise opinion. Much like Alan Tecchio (Hades) and John Cyriis (Agent Steel), his high-pitched delivery is something that you either embrace or reject. It’s difficult to pick a middle ground here.
Arch Blade is often a little on the ropy side. ‘Tyrant Rhapsody’ is an out-of-control racehorse, the speed of the track so unwieldly that it appears that they will collapse at any second. The vocals are at their maximum here, strained yet somehow pulled back onside at the last minute. It’s a pounding thrasher that careers all over the place, in a fit of uncontained chaos. Raw yet refined in the same song, this is strangely endearing.
There’s no doubting the band’s energy or enthusiasm. Indeed, you could power a small town from the heat that Arch Blade generates. It’s whether that excitement can be channelled into something a little more refined that would take advantage of the dual lead work of Robert and Rob Villarreal, the solid anchor of drummer Al ‘Mayhem’ and Podmazko’s shrill delivery.
Highlights here include the title track, which is a solid metal number with plenty of riffage to enjoy, the epic ‘Queen of the Damned’ and the blistering finale ‘Under the Mask’. It’s raw, without being so rough you’d cut yourself on it, but shows potential should the band wish to harness their sound in a more controlled manner in the future.
A 6 is never the greatest score to receive, but “Kill the Witch” demonstrates enough for any further releases to be of interest. As a first step, this isn’t at all bad. Maybe one to watch for the next time round, with a bit of polish applied to what is a pretty rough diamond.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Abduction
02. Nightbreed
03. Tyrant Rhapsody
04. Kill the Witch
05. Factory of Sin
06. House of Dreams
07. Break the Silence
08. Touched by Death
09. Queen of the Damned
10. Under the Mask
LINE-UP:
Nigel Caicedo – Bass
Al ‘Mayhem’ Mendez – Drums
Robert Villarreal – Guitars
Rob Villarreal – Guitars
Denys Podmazko – Vocals
LINKS:
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