RSS Feed


WITCH BLADE
Månsken

Dying Victims Productions (2022)
Rating: 5.5/10

Dealing a swift blow to the senses, Swedish trio Witch Blade strikes like one of those long forgotten and dust-coated Euro metal acts from the mid-80s. But of course it’s all very much the rage now to mimic the doom-laden ethos of those long defunct artists who dabbled in dungeons, dragons and mysticism while so often hindered by weak production.

Witch Blade hasn’t been the most productive band since coming to fruition in 2012 with Månsken being only their second full-length offering, but it’s the sort of stuffy, almost naïve metal that’ll keep the throwback nerds happy.

The band rattles out a selection of New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-flavoured designs bristling with familiar cries and designs, albeit lacking any real potency due to the rather off-key vocal warbles of bassist Witchhunter who had me shaking my head throughout this formulaic drizzle.

There’s a raw and natural odour about the album, but it doesn’t necessarily add to any atmosphere. Instead, it all feels a tad amateurish as the guys ramble through sub-standard medieval metal tales which on occasion could be perceived as nifty (‘Vittrorna Kommer’), although if this was the 80s I don’t think these guys would have got past the demo stage in spite of their enthusiasm.

The doomier aesthetics, although probably unintentional, rise to the fore with the chugging ‘Hellvetika’, while there are flashes of Thin Lizzy and the likes too with the barroom bluesy vibe of ‘Vidundrets Kall’ which also leaks into a doomy stride. But overall, this is predictable and rather washed out metal that just fails to inspire.

Neil Arnold

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share