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MARGARITA WITCH CULT
Margarita Witch Cult

Heavy Psych Sounds (2023)
Rating: 8/10

Born from the smoky corners of Birmingham, England – just like some other band that every doom act has been inspired by since 1969 – Margarita Witch Cult brings forth its mesmeric debut full-length album a year after the impressive Witchfinder demo.

Blessed with stoned riffs aplenty, this album strikes in all the right places even if those lumbering chugs are all too familiar. Bordering on stoner loftiness, this self-titled offering occasionally leans towards an early 70s occult-driven fuzziness as those grunge-soaked guitars and stony drums work in tandem to produce monolith nods and plods.

The instantly catchy ‘Diabolical Influence’ drifts along nicely due to the smooth vocal croons of guitarist Scott Vincent. One can easily picture these guys supporting Saint Vitus and the likes or hanging out with Possessor, such is the garage-styled nature of this bewitching release.

When the pace quickens, such as with ‘Death Lurks At Every Turn’ and ‘Annihilation’, you get a raw New Wave Of British Heavy Metal feel enthused with a punk attitude. But for me, the Margarita Witch Cult works best when in sinister, creeping tone such as on the excellent ‘Lord Of The Flies’ with its Black Sabbath-esque soaking and the nodding doom of ‘Be My Witch’. It still remains infectious if somewhat generic doom noodling, but then again it’s a genre that is difficult to own since every other band seems intent on injecting the word “witch” or “wizard” into its ethos.

It could be argued that Margarita Witch Cult’s debut is somewhat too late arriving at the ritual, but I’m sure this darkly-clad outing will still receive its fair share of praise even with its predictable occult quirks.

Neil Arnold

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