Wednesday, June 24, 2009

WITCHFINDER GENERAL: DEATH PENALTY


Witchfinder General is a band I just very recently discovered. They combine the energy and power of music coming out of The New Wave of British Heavy Metal with the doom and crushing riffs of 1970's era Black Sabbath. The only album I have of theirs so far is "Death Penalty, which was released in 1980. The production is a little muddled, but other than that, this a classic heavy metal album. Sometimes they sound a little too derivative of Black Sabbath but that is really not a problem because the energy level of the music is so high. Their vocals are extremely melodic, but for the most part the vocalist stays away from the high falsetto notes, staying in a mid-range Ozzy sort of vibe. The riffs are pure slabs of molten doom, revved up to a furious, heavy stoner metal pace, a la Kyuss' "Sky Valley". Witchfinder General also paved the way for early 1980's doom metal bands such as Saint Vitus and Trouble. Anyway, Witchfinder General's 'Death Penalty" comes highly recommended. Seven tracks, all heavy and no filler. I'm truly glad I stumbled upon this band, and hope to acquire more of their material soon.




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