Thursday 3 October 2013

The Vision Bleak - Witching Hour (CD Review)


01.Witching Hour
02.A Witch Is Born
03.The Bloksberg Rite
04.Cannibal Witch
05.The Wood Hag
06.Hexenmeister
07.Pesta Approaches
08.The Call Of The Banshee
09.The Valkyrie
10.Witchery In Forests Dark I
11.Witchery In Forests Dark II

Schwadorf (Guitars/Bass/keyboards)
Konstanz (voices/Drums/keyboards)


Three years after "Set Sail To Mystery", the masters of Horror Metal have undergone creative rejuvenation. With the spontaneity and playfulness of "Witching Hour", Schwadorf and Konstanz hark back to their debut „The Deathship Has A New Captain", and the slogan "creepy and haunting entertainment" has not been more topical and fitting ever since 2004. The comprehensive witchcraft concept of "Witching Hour" highlights the duo as morbid storytellers with a bizarrely brutal, yet also entertaining assortment of fairytales and myths up their sleeves. Familiar elements such as groovy, driving riffs, sublime, melodic lead guitars and Konstanz' unique voice are still the defining characteristics, yet new implementations like the haunting flute or the most versatile and sinister vocals so far are crucial to the fact that "Witching Hour" in its entirety sounds more dour and unfathomable than earlier recordings.

From the gothic intro of 'Witching Hour' you could be forgiven for thinking that this is going to be a nice ambient album..WRONG!
'A Witch Is Born' kicks in with some gothic tinged black metal with a hint of Rammstein thrown in !

A full onslaught of layered keyboards, guitarwork and drums follows until we arrive at parts one and two of 'Witchery In Forests Dark' totalling 16 minutes of epic music.
Starting with sound effects and simple keyboard, it gets more and more creepy (like a perfect horror movie soundtrack), lurking in the distance is the occasional guitar riff and then some demonic vocal effects.
Then just when you think its gonna kick into some metal, well it doesnt, it holds the ambience with a synth playing a "sitar" like sound, throw in more sound effects and a little symphonic undertone towards the end and you are left with a chill down your spine!

Rating 9/10

For Fans Of : Midnight Syndicate, Axis Of Perdition, Satyricon, Cradle Of Filth, Rammstein

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