ALBUM REVIEW: Witch Mountain – Witch Mountain

When you consider that WITCH MOUNTAIN have now been a band for over 20 years, the challenge of staying relevant in 2018 is one that is becoming ever more important. If this wasn’t enough of a test in itself, seamlessly integrating a new vocalist into the fold on this new self-titled record was always going to be a big ask, and it’s a challenge that has, at least in part, proven too much to fully overcome…

Having said that, the record starts off very promisingly indeed. Doom-laden and dripping with a sense of sinister foreboding, it’s clear from the opening notes of Midnight that WITCH MOUNTAIN are hell-bent on adding an exciting new chapter to their legacy. Aforementioned new vocalist Kayla Dixon adds real power to the record, bringing a presence that commands your attention and immediately allows her to take centre stage. Her delivery is nothing short of outstanding, combining elements of blues, soul and metal to create what is undoubtedly one of the vocal performances of the year so far.

It’s not uncommon for a record to rely so heavily on the vocal performance, however it’s always a concern when the accompanying band fade into the background without as much as a whimper. Unfortunately that’s what often happens here, with all of the emotion and, to be brutally honest, a good deal of the quality too, being solely reliant on Dixon‘s vocals.

That’s not to say that WITCH MOUNTAIN as a collective aren’t an interesting proposition. There are impressive moments scattered across the record, namely the piercing solo midway through Burn You Down, but these snippets are too few and far between to leave any kind of lasting impact. Saying that the band sound tired would be very harsh indeed, but there are ponderous moments of monotony that seem to drag on for an age. While pace and the building blocks of doom metal don’t exactly go hand in hand, this record could sorely do with an injection of something a bit faster to give it the new lease of life that is sadly missing.

For all of its flaws, Witch Mountain is still an intriguing and, at times, very accomplished record. The piano-led Hellfire provides a beautiful interlude to the otherwise crushing atmosphere, and 14-minute closer Nighthawk sees the band finally step out from the shadows and live up to their legacy. This final track is undeniably the best thing on the album by quite some distance, as all of the elements only hinted at throughout start coming to the fore in a glorious way; wonderful guitar solos, thunderous drum passages, those powerhouse lead vocals and devilish screams lurking in the background. Throw it all into the mix and you’re left with an intoxicating blend of raw power and poetic majesty; a blend that ends the record on a high and leaves you craving more.

This does however leave a rather obvious yet concerning black cloud hanging over proceedings – where was this quality earlier on in the record? If Witch Mountain was up to the standard of the closing tracks we could have had an album of the year contender on our hands. Instead what we have is a mixed bag of soaring highs and disappointing lows that, when considered a part of the wider metallic tapestry in 2018, may well struggle to make any sort of dent or live long in anyone’s memory.

Rating: 6/10

Witch Mountain is out now via Svart Records.

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