Witcher - Öröklét

-

Witcher is an atmospheric black metal band from Hungary who formed in 2010. Their latest album, “Öröklét,” is their fourth full-length album; they also released three EPs, two demos, and two splits.

I will admit that I'm a casual fan of this band–I have a couple of their previous albums but haven't fully dived into them. 


“Öröklét,” has certainly changed that and I will be returning to their discography soon. 


This is an album that is as beautiful as it is tragic, raw as it is smooth flowing. The sweeping keys are present in a very natural way—they aren't there to hide anything or to fill up the background. In essence, they are every bit as important as any of the other elements. 


The metal elements are dark–violent drums and, somewhat, oppressively bleak guitars and bass. 


It all swirls together in a magnificent way—a lot of bands are described as ‘cinematic’ or ‘epic' but this album has me convinced that Witcher is one of the few bands that can truly harness such descriptors.


The final song is an instrumental cover of a Franz Schubert piece….I have no idea who he is so I can't compare this version to his so I won't make any comments on it beyond that it's a solid way to end the album.


The other four songs are the meat of the album and I will say just a little bit about them. 


The opening song, “Örökség,” sets the tone of the album—if you dig this song, you'll like the rest of what the album offers. This song perfectly blends lush tapestries with blackened elements. The raspy growls and shrieks work well despite them being much rawer than the music they lead—but I like that combination.


By the time “Szélhozó,” begins, it is obvious this album is a mood piece. There isn't one singular part that stands out—and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. Instead, this song further showcases this album needs to sort of envelope and wash over–and all in one sitting if possible. This song is a bit more aggressive, especially with the drums, and the keys more urgent.


“Röghöz kötött,” flows so smoothly…this is an audio version of nature growing before your eyes. Like a flower going from seed to bloom, the song arrives like the birth of a living entity. I love the extreme vocals over such a rich tapestry too…it's both moving and archaic at the same time.


The title track has a lot of synergy between the keys and guitars.  This one has a bit of a folk feel to it and the cadence of the vocals are surprisingly catchy.  Some of the more cerebral moments where it is just the keys can be quite majestic, but the distortion always keeps it grounded so it still feels weighty.


If you like black metal that is heavy on the atmosphere, Witcher’s “Öröklét is a good place to dive into the genre, especially if you don’t normally care for black metal. 


Rating:  Solid



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hexecutioner - Tornit

-
Image
Hexecutioner is a doom/stoner/sludge metal band from Seattle that formed in 2020. Their latest release, “ Tornit ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released a demo. The band’s style is Doom with a capital DOOM. It embraces the elements of the genre without shame—and bludgeons my ear drums with them. The songs are mid-paced and built upon RIFFS, RIFFS, RIFFS, and more RIFFS. Oh and some RIFFS too.   The band’s approach is both classic and hypnotic—they take one riff, run with it, and hammer it over and over until I realized I had head banged so much I turned into a worm. But that’s just fine with me, because the next riff arrived and pulled me back together—and the process repeats. I don’t get high but if I did, I could see myself listening to this and then waking up three days later naked in the woods.   The tone and fuzz of these masterful notes, the bass included, laces their brand of doom with a filthy layer of sludge. It’s heavy as a real...
Read review

Devil Moon Risen - Fissure of Men

-
Devil Moon Risen is an Arizona based band with a very unique sound.  They formed in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic and dropped an EP.   Their brand of high energy and catchy music combines punk, desert rock, and stoner doom into a truly dynamic sound that blazes from start to finish!  Oh and they also include sludge and old school heavy metal into the mix!   “ Fissure of Men ,” is their debut full-length album…and it is a massive achievement! The band is a three piece but they sound even bigger. Chihuahua Chad (I hope that is his real name) plays bass guitar, upright bass, and vocals.  His bass is a huge component to the album, if not the main one.  He is absolutely pulsating, steering the direction of the band even while he compliments the other two member’s own styles.  His vocals are extremely varied, everything from cleans and screams.   Guitarist Rocky Destructo (awesome) has just a big of a job though as the album’s onl...
Read review

November Fire - Through A Mournful Song

-
November Fire is a doom/stoner metal band from New England that formed in 1991.  Over the years members would come and go as the band recorded demos and played gigs throughout the Boston area; the band stayed active until 2004 and, after some sporadic reunions, returned to the scene in 2022.   Flash forward to 2024 and the band drops their full-length debut “ Through A Mournful Song .” My time with this album was well spent.  I’ve no doubt this is one of the more unique metal albums I’ve heard this year.  I would say doom is their foundation but they are hard to categorize.  A lot is going on in these songs and across its forty-minute runtime, the band doesn’t shy away from exploring variety within its dynamics.    There are a lot of psychedelic tendencies across its breadth and it often times has an unhinged quality, almost supernatural in a way.  The vocals from bassist Terry go a long way adding to the band’s special atmosphere.  His...
Read review