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STORMWITCH
Bound To The Witch

Massacre (2018)
Rating: 6.5/10

As soon as the dark, chugging riff of opener ‘Songs Of Steel’ starts, I’m drawn into this latest Stormwitch offering; this being the 11th full-length opus from this well-regarded German metal act who released their first outing way back in the murky mid-80s.

Like a lot of heavy metal bands Stormwitch couldn’t survive the 90s, but thankfully reformed back in 2002 and still feature two original members in vocalist Andy Mück and bassist Jürgen Wannenwetsch. The duo are joined by recent axe additions Volker Schmietow and Tobias Kipp, while drummer Marc Oppold rejoins after his initial stint between 2002 and 2005.

Make no mistake, Bound To The Witch is a heavy record; the chunky riffage is the theme throughout as the combo conjure up Goth-tinged slabs of anthemic power metal. Admittedly the vocals are a tad shaky at times and are pretty much overshadowed by the music, with both ‘Songs Of Steel’ and ‘Odin’s Ravens’ bolstered mightily by that sturdy guitar tone. The former is more of a slow, mid-tempo groove, while the latter has a tastier, aggressive edge, but as powerful heavy metal goes the vocals seem severely lacking.

The vocals do improve for the more subtle strains of ‘Nightingale’, which is a classy, simmering ballad of fine acoustic arrangements. However, for the most part this is a record bordering on power metal from the racing ‘The Choir Of The Dead’ with its tumbling percussion, to the groove-based melodies of the titanic title track, the mid-paced energy of ‘Arya’ and the epic feel of namesake song ‘Stormwitch’.

The posse basically takes classic 80s metal and successfully coats it in a contemporary gloss, although at times elements of cheesiness creep in with rather dodgy historical lessons such as ‘King George’ and ‘Ancient Times’, the latter being the better of the two if only for its stabbing chug. But that’s the thing with power metal, especially of a European design – at times bands do tend to apply too much of a Teutonic shine and with too much emphasis on lyrical content of a corny nature that veers into tales of battles and more regal affairs. But as I say, musically this is a stable record. However, I just feel that Andy Mück’s vocals just seem to struggle to match the powerful, pulsating rhythms.

Of all the tracks on offer, the only one I find all too much of a dull thud is ‘The Ghost Of Mansfield Park’. Lyrically it’s poor, musically it’s standard and there’s not an air of the spectral about it. Indeed, after hearing the debut opus from Sweden’s Candle (The Keeper’s Curse), it seems so many other bands, however well-regarded, seem to pale in comparison with their storytelling.

The digipak CD version of Stormwitch’s latest opus also contains three bonus tunes; ‘Stronger Than Heaven’ features a nice mid-tempo nod, ‘Rats In The Attic’ provides extra fizz and pace, while ‘Priest Of Evil’ is an infectious trudge.

So what you basically get here is a reliable slab of powerful Euro-metal that should please old and new fans. Although limited in its structure, Bound To The Witch remains a familiar, comforting and rather harmless experience.

Neil Arnold

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