┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Stormwitch - Witchcraft + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Mar-23-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │ │║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2004 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........13 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.stormwitch.de ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Stormwitch Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Witchcraft Label : Nuclear Blast ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ When I decided that I wanted to review a ║ │ │║ Stormwitch album, I felt that the band's latest ║ │ │║ release was a good candidate, as it represents ║ │ │║ where the band stand now. Despite their somewhat ║ │ │║ inactive status for quite a few years after the ║ │ │║ release of "Witchcraft", there is no doubt that ║ │ │║ this album makes a statement about just how far ║ │ │║ the band have come since their formation in the ║ │ │║ late 70s. Yes, the band are still going strong, ║ │ │║ they've (strangely in my opinion) grabbed a deal ║ │ │║ with Nuclear Blast and, with the same comeback ║ │ │║ line-up of 2002, given us their 9th studio album ║ │ │║ to sit beside Hammerfall and In Flames in the ║ │ │║ Nuclear Blast catalogue. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Before I tell you why this album receives 80% in ║ │ │║ score, let me start by saying that I do enjoy it ║ │ │║ very much. Nonetheless, if you are hoping for ║ │ │║ another traditional masterpiece such as ║ │ │║ "Stronger than Heaven", then perhaps you ║ │ │║ shouldn't bother getting your hands on this ║ │ │║ album. The songs on "Witchcraftö have developed ║ │ │║ a fair bit from those of the previous album, but ║ │ │║ still continue down the same road of keyboards ║ │ │║ and symphonies. All you need to do is pop the ║ │ │║ disc in and listen to the first half a minute of ║ │ │║ The Sinister Child to know what I mean. Even so, ║ │ │║ this isn't completely consistent throughout all ║ │ │║ 13 tracks. There are also a fair few rockers on ║ │ │║ the album, such as Kiss of Death and ║ │ │║ Frankenstein's Brothers. We even hear some small ║ │ │║ amounts of speed metal in the epic Puppets in a ║ │ │║ Play. Yes, Stormwitch have certainly thrown in a ║ │ │║ mixed bag here. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Another change the band has made in this album ║ │ │║ is the themes and atmospheres it creates. Every ║ │ │║ Stormwitch album has had a running theme; the ║ │ │║ concept albums during the 90s, the many love ║ │ │║ ballads on "Eye of the Storm" and the occult ║ │ │║ feel of the early classics. ôWitchcraftö goes ║ │ │║ down the same line in terms of theme as "Dance ║ │ │║ with the Witches". That is to say, gothic horror ║ │ │║ stories, dark and sinister love, poetic tales of ║ │ │║ sorrow, and of course another welcome return for ║ │ │║ the band's all time favourite - Witches! ║ │ │║ Whatsmore, a number of songs tell religious ║ │ │║ stories, in particular; the opener; The Sinister ║ │ │║ Child. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The music is in general dark, living up to the ║ │ │║ band's nickname of "Masters of the Black ║ │ │║ Romantic". Despite this, the dark, depressing ║ │ │║ sound of "Dance with the Witches" has not made a ║ │ │║ return. There is no Altar of Love 2 on this ║ │ │║ album, gone is the insane drone that was My ║ │ │║ World. Not to say that there is no sorrow ║ │ │║ present in this album. On the contrary, Blood ║ │ │║ lies in my Hands is possibly the most melancholy ║ │ │║ song the Witch has ever written. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ If you enjoy the cheesy yet enjoyable love ║ │ │║ ballads that the band have written over the ║ │ │║ years (I Want you Around, Fate's on the Rise, ║ │ │║ Together), then you will probably like Sleeping ║ │ │║ Beauty; a slow, soft, mellow love song. The ║ │ │║ softest song on the album, with the exception of ║ │ │║ Blood Lies in my Hands, Sleeping Beauty contains ║ │ │║ both acoustic and electric guitar melodies, as ║ │ │║ well as a fairy-tale like harpsichord playing in ║ │ │║ the background. Andy Mⁿck uses his romantic, yet ║ │ │║ powerful style of singing, proclaiming his love ║ │ │║ to the character in the song; "I have built you ║ │ │║ a castle with roses and thyme, and there I first ║ │ │║ kissed you so you always will be mine". Yes, if ║ │ │║ you don't like corny lyrics, this song will make ║ │ │║ you wince. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Slow rhythms are a recurring factor on this ║ │ │║ album. The title-track plods along with its ║ │ │║ heavy guitars dominating the rhythm, nicely ║ │ │║ complimenting the Sinister Child and Fallen from ║ │ │║ God, where the keyboards take control. Moonfleet ║ │ │║ also contains the same kind of tempo, fitting ║ │ │║ quite well with the tale it tells of a small, ║ │ │║ prophetic little girl (hopefully you know how ║ │ │║ Stormwitch roll). One must also pick up on the ║ │ │║ female vocals that play small parts in both ║ │ │║ Moonfleet and Fallen from God. These girls' ║ │ │║ voices are not high in the mix and blend in ║ │ │║ decently with the Schwarz brothers' heavy, low ║ │ │║ pitched guitar and bass that chug along during ║ │ │║ these songs. Fallen from God has a (annoyingly) ║ │ │║ catchy chorus that Andy eventually hands over to ║ │ │║ the backing singers before the end of the song. ║ │ │║ I'm not entirely sure what the song is about, ║ │ │║ but it seems to describe a man's disillusion of ║ │ │║ his faith in God. The Sinister Child on the ║ │ │║ other hand, tells the birth of Jesus Christ, ║ │ │║ although in a slightly sinister style (the title ║ │ │║ says it all really). ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In spite of these slow songs, the band once ║ │ │║ again shows us that they are still capable of ║ │ │║ fast, headbanger's tracks a la Cave of ║ │ │║ Steenfoll. Frankenstein's Brothers is probably ║ │ │║ my least favourite track on the album, although ║ │ │║ as I mentioned before, I do like the album a ║ │ │║ lot. FrankensteinÆs Brothers is a slightly ║ │ │║ tongue-in-cheek, mid/fast-tempo rocker that is ║ │ │║ again quite catchy. It does however contain a ║ │ │║ short and strange few seconds in the middle of ║ │ │║ the song where we hear Andy and Martin making ║ │ │║ silly noises, but apart from that is fairly ║ │ │║ straightforward. Salome is another fast track ║ │ │║ that could be interpreted as a little boring and ║ │ │║ repetitive (I still enjoy it). It tells the ║ │ │║ story of Salome (see the New Testament), ║ │ │║ although it seems to be more through Oscar ║ │ │║ Wilde's tragedy based on the same tale (this is ║ │ │║ far more likely as Andy is an admirer of Wilde). ║ │ │║ At the Break of this Day, is an almost speed ║ │ │║ metal like headbanger about the battles between ║ │ │║ the ancient Germanic people and the Roman ║ │ │║ Empire. There is nothing much to say about it ║ │ │║ other than that it has a reasonably fast double ║ │ │║ bass pedal on drummer Marc Oppold's behalf and a ║ │ │║ melodic guitar solo and rhythm (keyboards always ║ │ │║ present as usual on this album). ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Now let me tell you about the more unusual songs ║ │ │║ on the album. Before I do, I should probably ║ │ │║ mention Until the War will End. The song is not ║ │ │║ particularly interesting, definitely not ║ │ │║ atypical of power metal, though it does have a ║ │ │║ good solo in the middle. The Drinking Song is an ║ │ │║ unusual song; Stormwitch seemed to be straying ║ │ │║ dangerously close to that Korpiklaani path of ║ │ │║ writing songs all about partying and beer. ║ │ │║ Thankfully, the song is more about nostalgia ║ │ │║ than anything else and comes with a much more ║ │ │║ Russian/Eastern-European folk sound (do you ║ │ │║ remember Russia's on Fire? much more so than ║ │ │║ that). Blood Lies in my Hand is the closing (and ║ │ │║ bonus) track on "Witchcraft", in which we get a ║ │ │║ taste of Martin Winkler's vocals. While the song ║ │ │║ is unlike anything Stormwitch have ever done ║ │ │║ before, it conveys its melancholy theme ║ │ │║ fantastically. Recording this song with Martin's ║ │ │║ vocals was a wise move, as his voice is filled ║ │ │║ with sorrow, as opposed to the lively (and still ║ │ │║ top-notch) wails of Andy Mⁿck. Kiss of Death is, ║ │ │║ while not the most experimental track, ║ │ │║ definitely worth mentioning. It takes the form ║ │ │║ of a mid-tempo, hard rock song, using a slightly ║ │ │║ clichΘd riff and a recycled verse-chorus-verse- ║ │ │║ chorus structure. Nonetheless, it is both catchy ║ │ │║ and of good quality with interesting lyrics ║ │ │║ describing a wicked, deceitful form of love for ║ │ │║ a girl (or a guy if you want) ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Last but definitely not least, we have Puppet in ║ │ │║ a Play. This song is, in my opinion the ║ │ │║ highlight of the album, so much so that I ║ │ │║ couldn't really talk about it before alongside ║ │ │║ any of the other songs. It opens with a ║ │ │║ dreamlike acoustic introduction, followed by two ║ │ │║ short verses of mellow nostalgia. This intro ║ │ │║ soon breaks into a heavy, speed metal-esque ║ │ │║ riff, with duelling harmonies between Martin and ║ │ │║ Fabian. Andy's voice is filled with emotion in ║ │ │║ this song, reminding me of earlier Stormwitch as ║ │ │║ he gives his long Halford-like screams. The ║ │ │║ lyrics are also emotion evoking, telling the ║ │ │║ tale of a young military recruit who did not ║ │ │║ anticipate the horrors of war, and the sad fate ║ │ │║ of his brother. Headbanger's crack, this is why ║ │ │║ we love Stormwitch! ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Overall a strong album, good sound quality, and ║ │ │║ shows the world that Stormwitch (maybe it would ║ │ │║ be fairer to say Andy) have still got it after ║ │ │║ nearly 30 years. It's no "Stronger than Heaven", ║ │ │║ but has a great variety of styles and powerful ║ │ │║ guitar although perhaps a little too much ║ │ │║ keyboard. I would highly recommend this album to ║ │ │║ anyone who enjoys melodic power metal. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Highlights: Puppet in a Play, Blood Lies in my ║ │ │║ Hands, Kiss of Death ║ │ │║ Lowlights: There are no ôbadö songs as such, but ║ │ │║ I would say Until the War will End, ║ │ │║ FrankensteinÆs Brothers (your own opinion ║ │ │║ really) ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - The Sinister Child [04:17] │ │ 02 - At the Break of This Day [04:09] │ │ 03 - Fallen From God [06:02] │ │ 04 - Frankenstein's Brothers [04:17] │ │ 05 - Until the War Will End [03:26] │ │ 06 - Witchcraft [05:30] │ │ 07 - Sleeping Beauty [03:41] │ │ 08 - Puppet in a Play [06:05] │ │ 09 - The Kiss of Death [03:40] │ │ 10 - Moonfleet [04:24] │ │ 11 - Salome [04:04] │ │ 12 - The Drinking Song [03:15] │ │ 13 - Blood Lies in My Hand (Bonus Track) [05:02] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [57:52 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘