ALBUM REVIEW: Margarita Witch Cult – Margarita Witch Cult
Hailing from the home of heavy metal, Sabbath City (also known as Birmingham), the self-proclaimed “disciples of the riff” MARGARITA WITCH CULT have been tearing up venues with their vintage heavy sound. The Birmingham trio have unleashed their crushing sound in the studio and their self-titled debut album is a scintillating mix of classic metal, hard rock and doom, alongside mind-bending psych and a gritty, bluesy vibe. Like Black Shuck, the demonic black dog of English folklore, MARGARITA WITCH CULT have created a snarling, growling beast of an album that won’t think twice about chewing you up and spitting you out. If you do battle with this beast, you better make sure you’ve bought your best weapons, as this album has a significant bite.
The first observation one makes of Margarita Witch Cult is the album’s gloriously vintage sound, steeped in spectacular buzzing fuzz and riffs that throw you back to the heyday of 1970s metal. From the tone of the amps right through to the riffs themselves, it’s as if MARGARITA WITCH CULT have cherry picked all the best parts of 1970s metal and dragged them into the 21st century with a refreshingly contemporary heaviness whilst simultaneously sounding like it belongs in that era. They have displayed a scholarly level of dedication to creating hard-hitting riffs throughout the album, and they certainly live up to their self-proclaimed disciples of the riff title and then some. The album sets off at a blistering pace and maintains a magnetic energy throughout, only pausing for breath momentarily before kicking it back into it twice as hard with the power of 1,252cc Harley Davidson.
Margarita Witch Cult feels rebellious, dangerous, and exciting – you can’t help being drawn to its swagger. The band play with a supreme confidence, and there is an audibly innate cohesion and chemistry between each member of the trio that seeps into the tracks, giving the album’s grooves an edge. There is something about what they’re doing that is enchanting; you can’t quite put your finger on what it is but MARGARITA WITCH CULT make it so easy to succumb to it. What’s refreshing about the record is that there is a plethora of influences that are easily identifiable but at no point does this album feel like a homage or pastiche of those influences. Scott Vincent (vocals & guitar), George Casual (drums), and Jim Thing (bass) have a gritty authenticity that they pack this album with, making them serious contenders for the new throne of darkness in Sabbath City.
Musically, MARGARITA WITCH CULT serve up a veritable feast of classic metal, hard rock and doom imbued with a heavy blues sensibility. Every song drives through your skull with a devastating ferocity and raw power. In summary it is an album of wall to wall fuzz, infectious grooves and gritty melodies that lodge themselves firmly in your brain, so what’s not to love about that? In many ways it taps into that nostalgia you had the first time you heard BLACK SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN, that intoxicating rush of blood that you never truly sober up from.
The album opens up with the doomy Diabolical Influence, its catchy vocal melody and gradual build up setting the tone for the record. Here MARGARITA WITCH CULT also introduce their wah pedal psych that bounces from ear to ear. From here on out its a one way ticket to hell on the fastest train imaginable. Death Lurks At Every Turn kicks up the energy to 11 with a classic rock/stoner roof raiser. The Witchfinder Comes opens up with a SABBATH-esque riff and groove that makes you pull the groove face. One of the darker songs on the album, it has a dark and brooding vibe with ominous and catchy vocal melodies. It’s followed by Be My Witch that is driven forward by a classic rock guitar melody that cuts through the fuzz, alongside an anthemic chorus that would be fantastic in a live environment.
Blink and you’ll miss them tracks Annihilation and Theme From Cyclops typify the blistering pace of the album, channelling a MOTÖRHEAD energy to thunder through both tracks in under four minutes. Lord Of The Flies brings back the band’s signature doom traits with a splash of psychedelic riffing in between the chunky power chord riffs. Instrumental track Aradia follows a similar template but is a little slower and serves as a nice interlude before the album’s emphatic closer Sacrifice. Shifting up the time signature and saving the heaviest riffs until last is a dizzyingly fuzzy track that sounds like it has come from hell itself.
MARGARITA WITCH CULT have certainly announced themselves with a tight, raw and powerful debut. Half an hour of exquisite riffing that brings thunder down on your helpless eardrums, this band are on course to make a significant impact in the rock and metal world.
Rating: 8/10
Margarita Witch Cult is set for release on April 21st via Heavy Psych Sounds.
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