┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Witchtower - Witches┤ Domain + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Rls Date..2020-02-19 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │ │║ Genre.....Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year......2020 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........11 ║ │ │║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │ │║ Url.. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Witchtower ║ │ │║ Album : Witches┤ Domain ║ │ │║ Label : Unsilent Tombs ║ │ │║ Cat.No : UT 007 ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Discovery can be such an important part of finding new ║ │ │║ music. The ever-elusive hunt for new music that strikes a ║ │ │║ heartstring û whether it be old or new, just finding ║ │ │║ something that resonates is one of the best feelings ║ │ │║ associated with digging through the proverbial crates of ║ │ │║ the internet. The massive library of the internet provides ║ │ │║ us with a mass resource for discovery, and is ║ │ │║ singlehandedly the primary motivating factor in the upsurge ║ │ │║ in popularity of classic heavy metal. Records that a ║ │ │║ handful of collectors and diehards knew were hidden ║ │ │║ treasures have been uploaded to YouTube, ripped and tracked ║ │ │║ on BitTorrent (or KaZaa/iMesh/Napster if youÆre old enough ║ │ │║ to remember those days), and seen a handsome leap in demand ║ │ │║ for physical copies on eBay or Discogs. This re-discovery ║ │ │║ has indisputably lead to a new appreciation for the ║ │ │║ earliest days of the genre, and whether it be longtime ║ │ │║ aficionados of the style, seasoned metal musicians nursing ║ │ │║ a newfound love of what laid their foundations, or ║ │ │║ newcomers leaping in headfirst into the world of 80s metal, ║ │ │║ a wave of new traditional bands have been cropping up. ║ │ │║ Sure, plenty of bands have kept it alive since thrash (and ║ │ │║ later death and black metal) changed the face of metal ║ │ │║ forever, but this latest surge in popularity of heavy metal ║ │ │║ is undeniably itÆs own movement. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ While the moniker ôNew Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metalö may ║ │ │║ not have originated from the YouTube channel (named NWOTHM ║ │ │║ Full Albums), it certainly has helped put a stamp on the ║ │ │║ movement. Originally uploading full albums of these newer ║ │ │║ bands playing in the classic style, it has been a go-to ║ │ │║ outlet for discovering bands trying their damnedest to ║ │ │║ capture the magic feeling of a new discovery of an old ║ │ │║ album. While not all of them capture that vintage sound ║ │ │║ entirely, quite a few have made stellar albums in their own ║ │ │║ right. In fact, it was this particular channel that led me ║ │ │║ to SpainÆs Witchtower with their sophomore album, Hammer Of ║ │ │║ Witches. The first thing that draws you in is just how much ║ │ │║ the record sounds like it was recorded in 1983 instead of ║ │ │║ 2016. A bit subdued, but with the high notes on the guitar ║ │ │║ cutting through the blanket of fuzz curled around a bright ║ │ │║ drum production. Seriously, I had to double check that this ║ │ │║ wasnÆt some band from Newcastle playing the pub circuit and ║ │ │║ opening for Maiden in their DiÆAnno days. It wasnÆt just ║ │ │║ the nostaligia-esque feel of the record that makes it ║ │ │║ though û itÆs packed with riffs, hooks, and a looming ║ │ │║ shadow of something resembling a æ70Æs occult flick. The ║ │ │║ rock ænÆ roll roots are evenly dispersed throughout and you ║ │ │║ can just hear the birthing pains of heavy metal in it, ║ │ │║ precisely like the era it was trying to mimic. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Three years and a month later, the band are releasing their ║ │ │║ third album and follow-up to Hammer Of Witches, entitled, ║ │ │║ fittingly, Witches Domain (weÆre working with a theme ║ │ │║ here!). Almost instantly, the band are kicking up the speed ║ │ │║ a notch, as ôA Revelation, The Theosophistö quickly jumps ║ │ │║ out of the intro into a burner, sounding more like ║ │ │║ something off of SatanÆs classic Court In The Act than the ║ │ │║ bandÆs previous early Maiden sound. But wait, whatÆs this? ║ │ │║ Seamlessly the band shifts back into Harris/Burr gallop û ║ │ │║ only to return to the speedy feel of the tail end of the ║ │ │║ New Wave Of British Heavy Metal for the solo. ItÆs clear ║ │ │║ from the start that Witchtower are progressing their sound ║ │ │║ from album to album to mimic the subtle evolution of bands ║ │ │║ from the NWOBHM that would lay the foundations of the genre ║ │ │║ as we know it today. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ôOver The Topö adds a bit of flavor with some light gang ║ │ │║ vocals on the chorus to add more punch, but just subdued ║ │ │║ enough to retain that early, pre-thrash feel û more 70s ║ │ │║ punk than the hardcore bark. ItÆs a subtle addition that ║ │ │║ doesnÆt take away from the star of the whole show for ║ │ │║ Witches Domain û the guitar work, and of course, the ║ │ │║ gallop. The riffs are sprinkled with little single note ║ │ │║ that cry out between the chords, with the tone striking ║ │ │║ that balance between being warm and slightly overdriven, ║ │ │║ like the organic fuzz from a hot tube amp being pushed to ║ │ │║ capacity. The solo work is emotive, playing off the bounce ║ │ │║ of the rhythm section before leaping into a twin lead ║ │ │║ straight out of the Murray/Smith handbook. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Taking a page from their previous album, ôNight Of The ║ │ │║ Witchö leans heavily on the hook, of course complete with ║ │ │║ the spooky occult overtones the band have made their ║ │ │║ trademark, constructing a catchy chorus around which to lay ║ │ │║ plenty of riffs and more smoking hot solos. The little ║ │ │║ breakdown just past the mid-point evokes memories of ║ │ │║ late-70s hard rock as it pushed its way into what would ║ │ │║ become heavy metal, further highlighting just how ║ │ │║ accomplished the band are at working within the scope of ║ │ │║ the era. A slow intro for ôMrs. Artissonö pays homage to ║ │ │║ the slow, eerie vibe of Sabbath before a flurry of twin ║ │ │║ guitar work kicks the song into full force, making it ║ │ │║ impossible to ignore just how on point the licks are in ║ │ │║ capturing what makes this window to the past such an ║ │ │║ enjoyable journey. The seamless shifts in tempo and feel ║ │ │║ recall the brilliance of Diamond HeadÆs Lightning To The ║ │ │║ Nations in just laying moment after moment of rifftastic ║ │ │║ fury one after the other. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ But the best bit is for last. At the time of writing I have ║ │ │║ had this record for a week and a day and for every one of ║ │ │║ those eight cycles of the moon I have had ôThe World Is ║ │ │║ Upside Downö on repeat, both in my head and in my ║ │ │║ headphones. The energy of the rhythm section is undeniable, ║ │ │║ providing a thick, moist cake for the icing of the guitar ║ │ │║ to spew all over. The chorus is so uplifting, with a sense ║ │ │║ of melancholy behind it that goes for the gut, this is ║ │ │║ without a doubt my personal favorite song on the record. ║ │ │║ The bits of soloing flair, the soft breakdown pulling back ║ │ │║ like a catapult ready to sling the iron heart of any fan of ║ │ │║ the classics of the genre into the onslaught of Heavy Metal ║ │ │║ Power in its truest form before giving way to the ominous ║ │ │║ eponymous instrumental closer. Witchtower have absolutely ║ │ │║ nailed the sound they were going for yet again, and managed ║ │ │║ to make a damn fine record in the process. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ This being said, there seems to be a trend for cycles of ║ │ │║ nostalgia û IÆm sure most of us remember the thrash revival ║ │ │║ of the early 2000s. Sure, it gave us a handful of memorable ║ │ │║ bands that made some fun records, even led to a bit of ║ │ │║ progression in some areas, but ultimately fizzled out in ║ │ │║ oversaturation and redundancy. The beauty of bands like ║ │ │║ Witchtower is that they take something from the past and ║ │ │║ evoke the magic of those early heavy metal records in their ║ │ │║ own way û while the stylistic inspirations arenÆt hard to ║ │ │║ pick up, a lot of the beauty of Witches Domain comes from ║ │ │║ it sounding like whatever youÆre thinking it sounds like at ║ │ │║ the time, be it Angel Witch, Iron Maiden, Satan, Diamond ║ │ │║ Head, or Tygers Of Pan Tang. The songwriting comes across ║ │ │║ as so organically NWOBHM it as though the band have been ║ │ │║ operating in a time loop, re-living heavy metal at the dawn ║ │ │║ of the eighties over and over again. And while the ║ │ │║ nostalgic cycle may burst, Witchtower have managed to ║ │ │║ create something timeless with Witches Domain, a long-lost ║ │ │║ gem of the glory days whether it was recorded in 1981 or ║ │ │║ 2019. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 1. A Revelation 0:36 │ │ 2. The Theosophist 4:04 │ │ 3. Over The Top 5:18 │ │ 4. Night Of The Witch 4:26 │ │ 5. Zuggarramurdi (Sorginak!) 4:59 │ │ 6. Mrs. Artisson 5:38 │ │ 7. Love Potion 4:30 │ │ 8. Look For The Truth 4:54 │ │ 9. The World Is Upside Down 5:35 │ │ 10. Witches┤ Domain 7:40 │ │ 11. The Chosen (Bonus Track) 5:11 │ │ │ │ │ │ Total Length : 00:52:51 │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘