Label: Metalism Records
Review by Vard Aman
WitchcrafT are one of those bands that you know you can always trust even though you know they’re not going produce the same thing twice. Their 2011 album, “Ash”, was a Progressive Metal masterpiece; and it wasn’t standard Prog Metal fare either, but something much, much darker. In 2012, they released an EP called “Parallel Worlds” (you can read the review here) which moved away from Progressive Metal and more into the realm of Dark Experimental (Gothic) Metal, adding a whole range of new elements to their sound. They also moved away from English lyrics and now sing in their native Russian. This has worked especially well with WitchcrafT‘s music, because their new sound is generally harsher and the harsher qualities of the Russian language compliment it perfectly (like German works best with Rammstein), and that, as well as their change in style has given their vocalist, Ludmila Angel, a lot more freedom to experiment (“Riot Angggl” – read the previous review). And she has excelled! I really pity those bigoted idiots who dogmatically refuse to listen to anything that isn’t in English because they are really missing out on some exceptionally good bands… on the other hand, maybe they deserve to be deprived of the aural pleasure that bands like WitchcrafT can deliver, it is after all a self inflicted wound. Bah! Let them suffer! And here I shall add that WitchcrafT are every bit as pleasing on the eye as they are on the ear, no matter what your gender and/or gender preferences are. They are a band for anyone who wants to indulge in the best that the dark side of music has to offer.
Three out of the four songs from “Parallel Worlds” appear on their new album, “7”, and have been re-recorded and remastered for the album. The album was preceded by two videos; for the songs “7 Грех” and “Без Меня”, which both served to whet the appetite and to get stuck in the head (as well as providing a visual feast). The rest of the album continues to serve up the feast of driving rhythms, melody and versatility in WitchcrafT‘s unique mixture of styles, from brutal Metal to experimental Era/Enigma-esque styles, from Gothic to beautiful neo-classical, all crafted and blended in the unique WitchcrafT way. The album is solid from start to finish; no weak songs and plenty of highlights – pretty much all of them in fact, so it’s impossible to pick a favourite; and even when I do pick a favourite, the next day it changes. It’s witchcraft, I tell you! …Which is really just another way of saying that it’s one of the best female fronted Metal bands out there doing what they do best.
Rating – 95/100
Tracklist
- Intro
- Ваше [Vashe – Yours]
- Без Меня [Bez Menya – Without Me]
- Шаг Назад [Shag Nazad – Step Back]
- 7 Грех [7 Grekh – 7th Sin]
- Мои Демоны [Moi Demoniy – My Demons]
- Осколки Мыслей [Oskolki Miysley – Fragments of Thoughts]
- Дыши со Мной [Diyshi so Mnoy – Breathe with Me]
- Мой Мёртвый Ангел [Moy Myortviy Angel – My Dead Angel]
- Сердце Океана [Serdtse Okeana – Heart of the Ocean]
- Я Не Останусь [Ya Ne Ostanus’ – I Will Not Stay]
- Холодный Свет [Holodniy Svet – Cold Light]
- Outro
Line Up
- Ludmila Angel – Vocals
- Alex – Guitars
- Kate Noir – Violin
- Vladimir Ptashnik – Bass
- Maxim Gusakov – Drums