Angel Witch
Angel Witch
[Bronze]
What a masterpiece this is. 1980's 'Angel Witch' is the crown jewel of the NWOBHM, surpassing even the first two Iron Maiden records. The music is built on a healthy worship of Sabbath, evidenced in the unstoppably heavy riffing. Everything is sped up, tightened up and made more ornate with the influence of Judas Priest and '70s heavy rock/guitar rock. Lyrics and imagery are semi-seriously occult/Satanic, and totally relevant to the metal struggle.
No one in this band is a virtuoso, but everything comes together so perfectly. This really is a once in a lifetime record. The guitar leads in "White Witch" are just supernaturally "on", and the whole song seems to freeze time. The chorus riff of "Sorceress" is equal to the most infernally heavy Iommi constructs. "Angel of Death" is a definitive exhibition of the sort of well considered, unfurling heaviness practiced by Metallica on their second and third albums, but Metallica never matched this song. Each composition has been refined until it's a gleaming monument to metal.
The 'Loser' 7" from the following year, included as bonus tracks on some CDs, confirms that the band still had a grip on this unique vein of creativity. "Loser" and "Suffer" are two more classic shards, and "Dr. Phibes" is a menacing instrumental akin to Maiden's "Transylvania" or "Genghis Khan", except that it just happens to contain what I feel is the greatest metal riff ever (you'll know it when you hear it).
Man, this record has grown on me so much. I initially didn't really get it, but they've simply achieved a level of pure artistry that precious few ever have. The musical, intellectual, and especially emotional content is just crushing. I don't have much more to say about this one; every metalhead should experience it himself.
© 2001 j.s.
No one in this band is a virtuoso, but everything comes together so perfectly. This really is a once in a lifetime record. The guitar leads in "White Witch" are just supernaturally "on", and the whole song seems to freeze time. The chorus riff of "Sorceress" is equal to the most infernally heavy Iommi constructs. "Angel of Death" is a definitive exhibition of the sort of well considered, unfurling heaviness practiced by Metallica on their second and third albums, but Metallica never matched this song. Each composition has been refined until it's a gleaming monument to metal.
The 'Loser' 7" from the following year, included as bonus tracks on some CDs, confirms that the band still had a grip on this unique vein of creativity. "Loser" and "Suffer" are two more classic shards, and "Dr. Phibes" is a menacing instrumental akin to Maiden's "Transylvania" or "Genghis Khan", except that it just happens to contain what I feel is the greatest metal riff ever (you'll know it when you hear it).
Man, this record has grown on me so much. I initially didn't really get it, but they've simply achieved a level of pure artistry that precious few ever have. The musical, intellectual, and especially emotional content is just crushing. I don't have much more to say about this one; every metalhead should experience it himself.
© 2001 j.s.