Live '83

Witchfinder General (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Original Release Date: 1983
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Buried by Time and Dust Records
• ASIN: B000WB0ZIO
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #387,404 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Witchfinder General - Live '83 CD. New 2nd pressing with updated booklet, cover art and correct audio mastering! Okay NWOBHM and Doom Fiends our ultimate dream has finally come true! A lost recording from Ultra Doom Merchants Witchfinder General has been unearthed from the grave via Phil Cope and will soon be ready for release from Nuclear War Now Productions. The recording from 1983 shows the band in their finest form slowing the songs down a couple of notches for that extra doom feeling! The sound quality is excellent and the cd contains 12 tracks all taken from the first two lp's along with NEVER SEEN before photos and original artwork from the band that was never used. The picture Cd features the incredible Guitar work of Phil Cope and the sinister vocals of one Mr.Zeeb Parkes backed by their strongest rhythm section of Rod Hawkes and Derm the Germ.This their first release in 23 years will crush all newcomers and have Hippies running back to their stoner records stored on their Ipods. For the new and nu metal fans Witchfinder General were really the first band to capture the Black Sabbath feeling without ripping them off one bit,criminally under appreciated in their time all real doom fans understand the authentic and desperate vibe of the recordings.This out-scares anything currently out touting itself as stoner or extreme doom b.s. This cd will include an great high quality 8 panel color foldout booklet with unreleased photos of the band!!! Totally Kult and Fully Licensed Official Release. Track Listing : 1) Free Country 2) Burning A Sinner 3) Witchfinder General 4) Requiem For Youth 5) Shadowed Images 6) Friends Of Hell 7) Death Penalty 8) Last Chance 9) Invisible Hate 10) Quietus 11) No Stayer 12) Love On Smack

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is what the world sounded like from my parents' basement (circa 1983)., December 18, 2009

By 

Frank Shanks "Shank Franks" (Buttwrench, ID) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live '83 (Audio CD)

I f87king LOVE!!!! Witchfinder General. I love them so much I'm going to write that again: I f87king LOVE!!!! Witchfinder General. I put their first CD, Death Penalty, on the same tier as any early Black Sabbath. I have fried many brain cells while listening to both. I never cease to be amazed at mediocre bands that are chronically compared to Black Sabbath. Witchfinder General is THE ONLY BAND that can and deserves to be compared to Sabbath. Their music has obvious blues roots, is PHAT doom/gloom, but most importantly IT SWINGS, just like their Masters. May Diabolous be praised. Most doom/gloom bands can only play slow/plodding/discordant music, but nothing they play can swing. Enter Witchfinder General, who have honestly captured the essence of what early Black Sabbath was and, as such, were the perfect methadone for the cold turkey that came with Ozzy leaving Sabbath. That being said, regarding this CD: Though the musical performance is from a small club and is GREAT!!!!, the recording leaves much to be desired. The music and performance are both 5 star worthy but I gave this CD only 3 stars. Here's my math (keep in mind I flunked aglebar, ablagra.......math): 5 stars for the music with an honest 1 1/2 stars for the sound quality makes me comfortable with giving this 3 stars. The CD literally sounds like recordings I made of my own band with a portable 4 track audiocassette recorder. Though the recording is from a club gig, there is no crowd noise picked up by the mikes. I don't doubt this is a gig recording but it sounds like a recorded rehearsal because of the absence of crowd noise. Because of the lack of treble, the recording sounds like you are listening to the gig while wearing a metal bucket over your head (no pun intended.) LONG LIVE METAL!!!! (buckets). For the Witchfinder General-philes only, who will relish this recording with much gladness.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Masters Played At The Wrong Speed, February 7, 2011

By 

Bruce W. Wanzie "WANZ" (Orwigsburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live '83 (Audio CD)

Witchfinder General was and is a great band. It doesn't get any better than Sabbath-inspired doom metal from the NWOBHM movement. All their studio releases are killer and well produced by NWOBHM standards. This "Live '83" recording is a uncovered gem. The production is rough, but it is great to have even a rough version of the legendary Witchfinder General playing a live show during their classic years. It's absolutely essential. You may wonder why then a two-star review. Well it is mostly because there are two versions of this disc that exist. This is the earlier version with the skull on the front. There is a later version that has a picture of a witchfinder general on the cover. The difference is that this version, the one with the skull, was taken from a faulty master that was played at the wrong speed. The performance is not accurate and is very slow. The newer version corrected the problem. I've read about this on numerous websites and owned both versions, so I can attest to the accuracy of this. It's a great album, but make sure that you purchase the one with the witchfinder on the cover.