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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Stormwitch - Witchcraft + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Mar-23-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2004 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........13 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.stormwitch.de ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Stormwitch Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Witchcraft Label : Nuclear Blast ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ When I decided that I wanted to review a ║ │
│║ Stormwitch album, I felt that the band's latest ║ │
│║ release was a good candidate, as it represents ║ │
│║ where the band stand now. Despite their somewhat ║ │
│║ inactive status for quite a few years after the ║ │
│║ release of "Witchcraft", there is no doubt that ║ │
│║ this album makes a statement about just how far ║ │
│║ the band have come since their formation in the ║ │
│║ late 70s. Yes, the band are still going strong, ║ │
│║ they've (strangely in my opinion) grabbed a deal ║ │
│║ with Nuclear Blast and, with the same comeback ║ │
│║ line-up of 2002, given us their 9th studio album ║ │
│║ to sit beside Hammerfall and In Flames in the ║ │
│║ Nuclear Blast catalogue. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Before I tell you why this album receives 80% in ║ │
│║ score, let me start by saying that I do enjoy it ║ │
│║ very much. Nonetheless, if you are hoping for ║ │
│║ another traditional masterpiece such as ║ │
│║ "Stronger than Heaven", then perhaps you ║ │
│║ shouldn't bother getting your hands on this ║ │
│║ album. The songs on "Witchcraftö have developed ║ │
│║ a fair bit from those of the previous album, but ║ │
│║ still continue down the same road of keyboards ║ │
│║ and symphonies. All you need to do is pop the ║ │
│║ disc in and listen to the first half a minute of ║ │
│║ The Sinister Child to know what I mean. Even so, ║ │
│║ this isn't completely consistent throughout all ║ │
│║ 13 tracks. There are also a fair few rockers on ║ │
│║ the album, such as Kiss of Death and ║ │
│║ Frankenstein's Brothers. We even hear some small ║ │
│║ amounts of speed metal in the epic Puppets in a ║ │
│║ Play. Yes, Stormwitch have certainly thrown in a ║ │
│║ mixed bag here. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Another change the band has made in this album ║ │
│║ is the themes and atmospheres it creates. Every ║ │
│║ Stormwitch album has had a running theme; the ║ │
│║ concept albums during the 90s, the many love ║ │
│║ ballads on "Eye of the Storm" and the occult ║ │
│║ feel of the early classics. ôWitchcraftö goes ║ │
│║ down the same line in terms of theme as "Dance ║ │
│║ with the Witches". That is to say, gothic horror ║ │
│║ stories, dark and sinister love, poetic tales of ║ │
│║ sorrow, and of course another welcome return for ║ │
│║ the band's all time favourite - Witches! ║ │
│║ Whatsmore, a number of songs tell religious ║ │
│║ stories, in particular; the opener; The Sinister ║ │
│║ Child. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The music is in general dark, living up to the ║ │
│║ band's nickname of "Masters of the Black ║ │
│║ Romantic". Despite this, the dark, depressing ║ │
│║ sound of "Dance with the Witches" has not made a ║ │
│║ return. There is no Altar of Love 2 on this ║ │
│║ album, gone is the insane drone that was My ║ │
│║ World. Not to say that there is no sorrow ║ │
│║ present in this album. On the contrary, Blood ║ │
│║ lies in my Hands is possibly the most melancholy ║ │
│║ song the Witch has ever written. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ If you enjoy the cheesy yet enjoyable love ║ │
│║ ballads that the band have written over the ║ │
│║ years (I Want you Around, Fate's on the Rise, ║ │
│║ Together), then you will probably like Sleeping ║ │
│║ Beauty; a slow, soft, mellow love song. The ║ │
│║ softest song on the album, with the exception of ║ │
│║ Blood Lies in my Hands, Sleeping Beauty contains ║ │
│║ both acoustic and electric guitar melodies, as ║ │
│║ well as a fairy-tale like harpsichord playing in ║ │
│║ the background. Andy Mⁿck uses his romantic, yet ║ │
│║ powerful style of singing, proclaiming his love ║ │
│║ to the character in the song; "I have built you ║ │
│║ a castle with roses and thyme, and there I first ║ │
│║ kissed you so you always will be mine". Yes, if ║ │
│║ you don't like corny lyrics, this song will make ║ │
│║ you wince. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Slow rhythms are a recurring factor on this ║ │
│║ album. The title-track plods along with its ║ │
│║ heavy guitars dominating the rhythm, nicely ║ │
│║ complimenting the Sinister Child and Fallen from ║ │
│║ God, where the keyboards take control. Moonfleet ║ │
│║ also contains the same kind of tempo, fitting ║ │
│║ quite well with the tale it tells of a small, ║ │
│║ prophetic little girl (hopefully you know how ║ │
│║ Stormwitch roll). One must also pick up on the ║ │
│║ female vocals that play small parts in both ║ │
│║ Moonfleet and Fallen from God. These girls' ║ │
│║ voices are not high in the mix and blend in ║ │
│║ decently with the Schwarz brothers' heavy, low ║ │
│║ pitched guitar and bass that chug along during ║ │
│║ these songs. Fallen from God has a (annoyingly) ║ │
│║ catchy chorus that Andy eventually hands over to ║ │
│║ the backing singers before the end of the song. ║ │
│║ I'm not entirely sure what the song is about, ║ │
│║ but it seems to describe a man's disillusion of ║ │
│║ his faith in God. The Sinister Child on the ║ │
│║ other hand, tells the birth of Jesus Christ, ║ │
│║ although in a slightly sinister style (the title ║ │
│║ says it all really). ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In spite of these slow songs, the band once ║ │
│║ again shows us that they are still capable of ║ │
│║ fast, headbanger's tracks a la Cave of ║ │
│║ Steenfoll. Frankenstein's Brothers is probably ║ │
│║ my least favourite track on the album, although ║ │
│║ as I mentioned before, I do like the album a ║ │
│║ lot. FrankensteinÆs Brothers is a slightly ║ │
│║ tongue-in-cheek, mid/fast-tempo rocker that is ║ │
│║ again quite catchy. It does however contain a ║ │
│║ short and strange few seconds in the middle of ║ │
│║ the song where we hear Andy and Martin making ║ │
│║ silly noises, but apart from that is fairly ║ │
│║ straightforward. Salome is another fast track ║ │
│║ that could be interpreted as a little boring and ║ │
│║ repetitive (I still enjoy it). It tells the ║ │
│║ story of Salome (see the New Testament), ║ │
│║ although it seems to be more through Oscar ║ │
│║ Wilde's tragedy based on the same tale (this is ║ │
│║ far more likely as Andy is an admirer of Wilde). ║ │
│║ At the Break of this Day, is an almost speed ║ │
│║ metal like headbanger about the battles between ║ │
│║ the ancient Germanic people and the Roman ║ │
│║ Empire. There is nothing much to say about it ║ │
│║ other than that it has a reasonably fast double ║ │
│║ bass pedal on drummer Marc Oppold's behalf and a ║ │
│║ melodic guitar solo and rhythm (keyboards always ║ │
│║ present as usual on this album). ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Now let me tell you about the more unusual songs ║ │
│║ on the album. Before I do, I should probably ║ │
│║ mention Until the War will End. The song is not ║ │
│║ particularly interesting, definitely not ║ │
│║ atypical of power metal, though it does have a ║ │
│║ good solo in the middle. The Drinking Song is an ║ │
│║ unusual song; Stormwitch seemed to be straying ║ │
│║ dangerously close to that Korpiklaani path of ║ │
│║ writing songs all about partying and beer. ║ │
│║ Thankfully, the song is more about nostalgia ║ │
│║ than anything else and comes with a much more ║ │
│║ Russian/Eastern-European folk sound (do you ║ │
│║ remember Russia's on Fire? much more so than ║ │
│║ that). Blood Lies in my Hand is the closing (and ║ │
│║ bonus) track on "Witchcraft", in which we get a ║ │
│║ taste of Martin Winkler's vocals. While the song ║ │
│║ is unlike anything Stormwitch have ever done ║ │
│║ before, it conveys its melancholy theme ║ │
│║ fantastically. Recording this song with Martin's ║ │
│║ vocals was a wise move, as his voice is filled ║ │
│║ with sorrow, as opposed to the lively (and still ║ │
│║ top-notch) wails of Andy Mⁿck. Kiss of Death is, ║ │
│║ while not the most experimental track, ║ │
│║ definitely worth mentioning. It takes the form ║ │
│║ of a mid-tempo, hard rock song, using a slightly ║ │
│║ clichΘd riff and a recycled verse-chorus-verse- ║ │
│║ chorus structure. Nonetheless, it is both catchy ║ │
│║ and of good quality with interesting lyrics ║ │
│║ describing a wicked, deceitful form of love for ║ │
│║ a girl (or a guy if you want) ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Last but definitely not least, we have Puppet in ║ │
│║ a Play. This song is, in my opinion the ║ │
│║ highlight of the album, so much so that I ║ │
│║ couldn't really talk about it before alongside ║ │
│║ any of the other songs. It opens with a ║ │
│║ dreamlike acoustic introduction, followed by two ║ │
│║ short verses of mellow nostalgia. This intro ║ │
│║ soon breaks into a heavy, speed metal-esque ║ │
│║ riff, with duelling harmonies between Martin and ║ │
│║ Fabian. Andy's voice is filled with emotion in ║ │
│║ this song, reminding me of earlier Stormwitch as ║ │
│║ he gives his long Halford-like screams. The ║ │
│║ lyrics are also emotion evoking, telling the ║ │
│║ tale of a young military recruit who did not ║ │
│║ anticipate the horrors of war, and the sad fate ║ │
│║ of his brother. Headbanger's crack, this is why ║ │
│║ we love Stormwitch! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Overall a strong album, good sound quality, and ║ │
│║ shows the world that Stormwitch (maybe it would ║ │
│║ be fairer to say Andy) have still got it after ║ │
│║ nearly 30 years. It's no "Stronger than Heaven", ║ │
│║ but has a great variety of styles and powerful ║ │
│║ guitar although perhaps a little too much ║ │
│║ keyboard. I would highly recommend this album to ║ │
│║ anyone who enjoys melodic power metal. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Highlights: Puppet in a Play, Blood Lies in my ║ │
│║ Hands, Kiss of Death ║ │
│║ Lowlights: There are no ôbadö songs as such, but ║ │
│║ I would say Until the War will End, ║ │
│║ FrankensteinÆs Brothers (your own opinion ║ │
│║ really) ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - The Sinister Child [04:17] │
│ 02 - At the Break of This Day [04:09] │
│ 03 - Fallen From God [06:02] │
│ 04 - Frankenstein's Brothers [04:17] │
│ 05 - Until the War Will End [03:26] │
│ 06 - Witchcraft [05:30] │
│ 07 - Sleeping Beauty [03:41] │
│ 08 - Puppet in a Play [06:05] │
│ 09 - The Kiss of Death [03:40] │
│ 10 - Moonfleet [04:24] │
│ 11 - Salome [04:04] │
│ 12 - The Drinking Song [03:15] │
│ 13 - Blood Lies in My Hand (Bonus Track) [05:02] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [57:52 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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