Witchcraft - Firewood

Rating: 9.6

Country: Sweden

Release Date: 2005

Track list:
1. Chylde Of Fire
2. If Wishes Were Horses
3. Mr Haze
4. Wooden Cross (I Can’t Wake The Dead)
5. Queen Of Bees
6. Merlin’s Daughter
7. I See A Man
8. Sorrow Evoker
9. You Suffer
10. Attention!/ When The Screams Come

Total playing time: 45:24

Band Website: Witchcraft

Witchcraft - Firewood

Jonas Arnesén- Drums
Ola Henriksson- Bass
John Hoyles- Guitars
Magnus Pelander- Guitars And Vocals

It’s slightly disconcerting that my two albums of 2005 thus far sound almost identical to one another- Burning Saviours’ SUBLIME offering knocked my socks off a month and a half ago (seeing as how I can’t go a day without giving it two full spins), and now countrymen/brothers-in-arms Witchcraft have returned with a sophomore effort that at least matches the single finest doom record of the past 10 years. Much like Burning Saviours, the phrase ‘’instant vintage’’ has a dual-layered significance when it comes to Witchcraft- the fuzzy analog production (while MUCH more modern sounding than the self-titled), Magnus’ processed early Liebling impressions and Witchcraft’s general aesthetic approach dates them back to the mid ‘70s, while the staggering quality, sophistication and honesty of the music screams CLASSIC on first listen.

It’s truly shocking that this is the same band that issued their haplessly derivative, impossibly overrated self-titled platter two years ago. While their debut set critical and popular circles alight, the record sounded far too rigidly referential, coming off more like a blatant, meticulously executed facsimile of Witchcraft’s influences than a spirited, spontaneous work. By replicating the likes of Bang, Stone Bunny, Wishbone Ash and Pentagram, Witchcraft simultaneously epitomized and violated the sacrosanct artistic ethos of ‘60s/’70s psych rock- they resurrected ancient sounds for a modern audience, yet the elaborately orchestrated emulation was at stark odds with the free-flowing, impromptu spontaneity of that transcendental era. Expect no such mishaps here- not only have Witchcraft expanded the myopic scope of the last record, drawing from more recent wellsprings like Witchfinder General and Pagan Altar, they have managed to project these influences with a seamless finesse that was so woefully absent on the last effort. Succinctly put, this record makes the universally-acclaimed debut seem contrived, bland, lifeless. It’s THAT fucking good.

While comparisons to tourmates and comrades Burning Saviours would be all too easy, and while, in truth, one might suggest that vocalists Magnus and Andrei are virtually interchangeable at this point, both harboring an unhealthy reverence for Zeeb Parkes and early Bobby Liebling, repeated listens of both records unveil subtle differences. In many senses, Witchcraft present a more linear and ‘’rocking’’ yin to Burning Saviours’ stratospherically ethereal yang. While Burning Saviours exude a swooning dreaminess, embarking on lengthier instrumental excursions frothing with velvety solos, Witchcraft are often more direct and urgent in approach, toning Burning Saviours’ cooing gentility for more menacing, nefarious riffing and rhythms. Of course, this isn’t to say that this is the sludgy viscosity of Saint Vitus, this is still breathtakingly elegant VINTAGE doom in its purest incarnation, but compared to the more suggestive come-ons of their twins, Witchcraft are less concerned with subtle seduction, the irrepressible sensuality of their music at times manifesting itself in a far more sinewy, aggressive form.

Not a SINGLE duff track on this bloody thing- “Chylde Of Fire” is propelled by an insistent, agile bassline and a repetitive collage of guitar, while drummer Jonas Arnesén exhibits a primal ‘70s groove to his playing, infusing each stroke and note with smouldering swing and soul. Following an impeccably tasteful lead, the pacey track collapses into a MAMMOTH vintage-Sabbath breakdown (one that, unlike many contemporary bands who aspire to replicate Sabbath, actually SOUNDS like Sabbath) adorned with yet another brilliant solo. Class! “If Wishes Were Horses” opts for a somewhat lighter-hearted, bluesy approach, an airy, floating swathe of almost Allman Brothers-esque guitar augmented by more supple basswork by Ola Henriksson, one that transitions FLAWLESSLY into a massive chorus riff that is positively orgasmic in its timeless simplicity. Little ornate touches make this track the highlight of the record here- the first time Magnus sings the chorus, the chorus riff dwells for another 15 seconds before an incredible lead flourish colors the passage. Enter “Mr Haze”, in all its cowbell-assisted swamp-boogie glory, very possibly the strongest number amidst a record laden with gems. Leads are most prevalent here, waltzing nonchalantly atop rambling, busy basslines and some really cool, understated drumming. A cowbell is used instead of a hi-hat here, while Arnesén alternates a straightforward snare/cowbell pattern with tumbling, cascading snare rolls and fills-a-plenty. Watch how the serpentine grooves woo you into submission, only for the band to snap you out of the trance periodically with an acoustic guitar-fuelled, introspective section, a sterling solo suddenly seguing into a lurking lone bassline and Magnus’ spiteful exclamations: ‘’Go away, stay away, don’t come back, don’t come home.”.

The jewels are strewn across this record- “Wooden Cross (I Can’t Wake The Dead)” most resembles first album 'Witchcraft' with its Stone Bunny meets Blue Cheer tug, “Queen Of Bees” is a droning, dreary masterwork of vintage Pagan Altar-isms, indulgently wallowing in repeated chords and indolently lugubrious tempos, the track somewhat promising to escalate into a cathartic climax, only to return to the same riff to close the track out, Magnus lamenting “Is it true do I really sing about you/ It could might as well be someone else/ Look around you you’re not the center of the world/ They say truth lies within this word’’, mocking the vain expectations we impose upon Witchcraft. “Merlin’s Daughter” is a very brief, spellbinding instrumental affair decorated with jangly, almost Pentangle folk guitar, tangential, exploratory leads and anchored by a muscular rhythm section. “I See A Man” is perhaps the closest Witchcraft comes to modern conceptions of doom metal, opening with a vintage Vitus crawl only to toss these notions aside for an elaborate, almost In The Court Of The Crimson King type jam that consequently morphs back into Wino drone. What. The. Fuck?! When did Witchcraft become so adventurous, so defiantly ambitious?

Everything about this record is perfect. Everything…save for the fact that the last song is actually two songs separated by 5 minutes of pointless silence, and the fact that the second song sounds suspiciously like a Pentagram track that I can’t quite put my finger on (hell, it might even be a Pentagram song itself). Such minor gripes aside, this record, in 40 odd minutes, manages to encapsulate everything that is great about dark, brilliant rock n’roll. I have NO fucking clue what’s going in Sweden right now to inspire both Burning Saviours and Witchcraft to unleash two of the most awesomely monolithic albums I’ve heard in the past 5 years, but if this trend continues and more bands spring from oblivion, we could be in the midst of a real revolution here. Harnessing the free-spirited imagination of the ‘60s, the hazy, surrealistic headspace of the ‘70s and the intoxicating drone of ‘’new school’’ doom, Witchcraft have distilled a vital elixir of doom immortality that will bewitch and fascinate for years to come

July 10th, 2005