Witchcraft – Nucleus

Label: Nuclear Blast Release Date: 2016.01.15 Running time: 69:45 min Genre: Retrorock, Stonerrock, Doommetal

After the very successful and catchy “Legend” album of 2012, one would think that Magnus Pelander continues treading this path with Witchcraft. The current release “Nucleus” however, is a clear case of “No way!” Surely there are also very harmonious tracks, but essentially this album is dedicated to jet black suffering. The opener “Malstroem” is already a good example, with a first still quite positive sounding acoustic part it changes shortly afterwards. A riff which Toni Iommi would be proud of pulls you into a gloomy abyss. “Theory of Consequence” is a short but deep bow to Led Zeppelin and the following “The Outcast” is a song which could have  been on their previous album, offering a Jethro Tull moment – or perhaps rather old Genesis? The title track nucleus develops into a song beyond the 10-minute limit, which demands attention, because half of it consists of the same chords, only in different variants of ahhs and ohhs. Well the song reminds me of Orne, the side project of Reverend Bizarre / Lord Vicar Fronter Peter Vicar – in case somebody heard of it? And this comparison should be understood as a compliment. The leaden weights subsequently pay homage to Black Sabbath’s debut in “An Exorcism of Doubt”, especially the jazzy drumming of Bill Ward and the following “The Obsessed” evaporates Sabbath’s Vol. IV within scarce five minutes. Generally speaking, this is quite a morbid album as could be guessed by the title; the mood curve in any case does not go even slightly upwards with the rather quiet “Helpless” and certainly not with the final “Breakdown”, another song with extended playing time. Nucleus is by no means an album that immediately ignites you, but when you can appreciate the comforting darkness of the album, you will feel reluctant to come forth again from this dark zone.

Tracklist:

01: Malstroem
02: Theory of Consequence
03: The Outcast
04: Nucleus
05: An Exorcism of Doubts
06: The Obsessed
07: To transcend Bitterness
08: Helpless
09: Breakdown