ALBUM REVIEW: The Final Exorcism – Dead Witches

In the heavy music world, the term ‘doom’ has been somewhat watered down, even devalued. Slapped haphazardly onto any act or album that favours long, slow songs or occult subject matter, it’s become a catchall, a form of parental advisory sticker for folk with long hair who exclusively wear denim. Step forth South Coast based true doom crew, DEAD WITCHES.

DEAD WITCHES nail their colours firmly to the SABBATH-ian mast of fat, fuzzed out, tri-tone riffs and black-magic subject matter. While many bands aim for these heady heights, few have the pedigree to back it up; not so the witches, who boast members hailing from British doom royalty including SEA BASTARD, GRAVE LINES and a little known band called ELECTRIC WIZARD.

The Final Exorcism, the band’s second full length (and the first with guitarist Oliver Irongiant and vocalist Soozi Chameleone) is a solid slab of trad doom, toe to tip. Opener There’s Something There is set up like a short audio horror film, distant pounding and echoes mixing with spoken word to set the tone. The title track creeps in with tentative cymbals, as if afraid, before the main riff barges and buzzes in. The lurching, looping grooves are bulked out by Carl Geary’s incredibly hefty bass tone that grinds away at the centre. Chameleone’s throaty, organic croon weaves above the burbling bass and droning guitars, and all is underpinned by Mark Greening’s tom heavy, pounding fills. It’s infectious stuff, and you’ll find your hands moving as is possessed to constantly increase the volume; this can never be cranked up loud enough.

Goddess Of The Night explodes with phasing bass filth that threatens to burn your face clean off, lumbering from one heaving riff to another, stitched together with huge cymbal splashes that fight against the grinding fuzz, ending on a pulsing drum loop and wavering keys. When Do The Dead See The Sun is a surprise straight out of left field; a dreamily paced, clean guitar focussed soundtrack to a pure acid trip, with wavering vocals and plodding drums.

Those wondering where ‘the metal’ went will be put at ease by Church By The Sea, which bristles with rhythmic groove and tribal toms, cut through by waah guitar, building with militaristic, staccato snare and locked in chords before opening out into a rousing climax. Lay, Demon drips with sultry menace, trilling tri-tones and massive kick drums backing an enormous bass drive and soulful vocals urging you to “enter my lair”.

Closer Fear The Priest wavers with feedback before a dour fog of gloom descends, slowly revolving around a central lick, clattering, snare heavy drum fills spiralling off before the track briefly sweeps into phasing psychedelia before powering home on the back of galloping tom fills into a towering wall of fuzz and feedback.

DEAD WITCHES aren’t reinventing or breaking wheels here, but they aren’t seeking to either. This is pure doom, unshackled from any pretension and unencumbered by any fusion elements. While some of the tracks run a bit long, with perhaps one too many repeated riffs, this won’t matter to the fans who are listening under the influence of a few shandies or, perhaps, the devil’s lettuce. Regardless, this is a cracking seven track Pandora’s box of retro riffs, primal grooves and an obscene amount of fuzz.

Rating: 7/10

The Final Exorcism is set for release February 22nd via Heavy Psych Sounds.

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