WITCHSORROW – No Light, Only Fire
- Posted on 30-09-2015
The birth place of doom, the United Kingdom has all the right influences as far as weather, atmosphere, and blue collar work environments to channel the movement from Black Sabbath into current bands like Witchsorrow. "No Light, Only Fire" is the third full-length for the trio, active since 2005 – and has a little bit more gallop at times to break up the conventional plodding tempos and feedback oriented riff fare on offer. Guitarist/ vocalist Necroskull, bassist Emily Witch, and drummer David Wilbrahammer lock onto evil chord progressions and add that classic morose touch that promotes incessant slow head banging or devil horns.
"Made of the Void" is one of the instant classics, Necroskull delivering an exciting bluesy lead break while emphasizing a lot of the plodding measures with the devil’s triumvirate ringing through closing notes, while the 10 minute follow up "Negative Utopia" has extensive use of wah-wah pedals for added energetic tension. The opener "There Is No Light There Is Only Fire" is actually a speed song for Witchsorrow, relatively speaking because after the opening minute the tempo accelerates into a cat and mouse match that would fit in well with a lot of early 80’s NWOBHM bands.
The second half of the album begins with another relatively mid-tempo swinging affair in "To the Gallows", I love the bass and drum interplay during a lot of the chorus and instrumental sections that keeps the heart pumping and the toes tapping. Necroskull has a little bit of a plaintive wail in his phrasing and delivery for "Disaster Reality", to the point that you really feel you are ‘dying in vain’- a particular standout lyric from this epic arrangement. With over an hour of music to take in, Witchsorrow know that dynamics even when delivering material at resting heart beat tempos is imperative – and "No Light, Only Fire" succeeds because of this attention to detail.
Saint Vitus and the almighty Sabbath would be proud.
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