Bewitcher - Under the Witching Cross (2019)^{Release ID: 14471}

I hadn’t heard much of Portland-based trio Bewitcher before checking this 2019 sophomore album out as a part of my speed metal deep dive but they’ve got a little bit to offer to tell you the truth. Their sound isn’t anything new by any means as Venom, Motorhead & Bathory’s debut album pretty much summed this style up in the early 1980’s but the production & execution are excellent which gives the song-writing every opportunity to dig its teeth in.

There’s an obvious blackened component to front man Matteo Von Bewitcher’s grim vocal delivery that might never challenge the likes of Quorthon for raw evil but certainly gives Bewitcher an extra layer of street credibility. In fact, tracks like opening blackened speed metal anthem “Savage Lands of Satan” & black ‘n’ roll banger “In The Sign Of The Goat” even push out into extreme metal territory but Bewitcher’s music isn’t to be taken too seriously. It’s purely made up of fun-loving, beer-drinking party-time tunes for long-haired scallywags who are looking for a good time with the mates their parents told them not to associate with. It’s certainly a speed metal release but it’s one that keeps one foot in the rock ‘n’ roll camp while doubling down on the Satanism at the same time. Although it was never intended to change anyone’s lives, you can’t help but buy into the energy that Bewitcher possess in their composition & performances.

For fans of Hellripper, Bat & Bütcher.