Customer Reviews

Witchcraft

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, to label this would be an insult. The atmospheres created on this album are amazing, and unlike anything else you'd might try to relate this with; put with Pest's over the top vocals make it nothing less than spell binding. The songs are epic to say the very least. A must have for any fan of the more technical and abstract metal genres. It took me atleast nine months of searching and disapointment to find this album, but it was very much worth the wait and the price.

I bought this cd back in 1998, and it still spins in my CD player after 4 years. It is by far not to be compared to traditional, basic black metal, foremost, because it is more like a composition of "movements" rather than a collection of black metal tracks. Songs like "From Times in Kingdoms", which uses up to 25 different classical instruments (played by Heks, the keyboardist, who plays the actual instruments themselves) simply is alluring to listen to. "Veils of Wintersorrow" and the title track "Witchcraft" belong to the black metal hall of fame, seriously. It would take a listen of the actual album to hear everything, so don't settle for the fuzzy sound of the real player sample.

This album is a paradox in many ways beyond the typical black metal idioms. The music here is heavily layered and advanced; more akin to the arrangement of classical music than primitive ambient blackmetal so emblematic to peers and fans alike. This is a different breed of musicality, hard to even appreciate given the band's raw recording. However, this album is a masterpiece, track 4 belongs in the top 50 blackmetal songs of all time; if for nothing else than its perfect mixture of incredibly baroque intricate interlacing melodic lines (up to six at once) and a violent raw aesthetic that spits in the face of polished-sold-out-Enya-blackmetal such as CoF or later Dimmu Borgir. A solid, impressive, and creative first album.

Once again, OE start off an album with a slow, ethereal-sounding synth intro, but this one is a bit more interesting than "A Black Odyssey" on Soulblight, which was sort of dull after a minute or so. "Veils of Wintersorrow" starts off nicely and gives you an idea of what to expect for the rest of the album: very complex, layered black metal with a classical music feel, excellent musicianship, and as always, I do love Pest's vocals (He does that cool laugh here, too).

I don't even like symphonic BM, and refuse to lump them in with so many other symphonic BM bands. This is not just another symphonic BM band, this is great music. The greatness transcends any genres and subgenres. This is well-written, well-performed, excellent stuff. And I don't usually gush about bands in this way, but they are so awesome I can't help it.

I do think I like Soulblight a little, tiny bit more than this, but this is still a great album. A huge number of different instruments are played on here, with so many different things going on it takes several listens just to wrap your head around it all; but it's so good, you just want to listen to it repeatedly.

If your a fan of Pest and his work with Gorgoroth (under the sign of Hell), you must have this album.