Witchcraft – Legend

Witchcraft have been a very active band and have made their presence noticeable since their debut back in 2004. Balancing between doom and hard rock, this band from Sweden have already made three albums with a great impact on the audience worldwide. Five year after their latest album “The Alchemist“, they released this time under the label o Nuclear Blast their new album called “Legend“. In fact besides the new label, Witchcraft have also a new line up, adding one guitar giving the opportunity to Magnus Pelander to express himself only via vocals. Changes very distinctive since the first notes!

From “Deconstruction” you could notice a more heavy attitude. Now with two guitars their sound is more heavy and compact but also giving more melodic and creative passages. I must admit that with the first hearing I didn’t really appreciate this turn but with a closer and more perceptive angle I must admit is for the best. Especially once “An Alternative To Freedom” comes in after three track of heavy sound of rock doom and more light and in second role melodies. Here is where the two guitars now make their presence more distinct, each of them with a specific sound and melodies. And with “Ghost House” they manage to give a blend of both the hardness and the melody of the duo.
“White Light Suicide” is another example but also revealing the freedom of the vocals now released by the guitar parts and with a rhythm section creating a musical spine colorfully performed. The same bass and drum beautiful nostalgic play you will notice in an interlude track “Dystopia” filled with guitar solos that will give the song a fresh and reviving ending.

I couldn’t find more words to describe the tracks for this album and it would be pointless to analyze them one by one as they all move in the same spiral way. From a general overview it’s noticeable that they lost the “vintage”, in a manner of speaking, sound that is very distinctive in their previous album. I think this is due to all the changes I referred in the beginning. Now under a new label the standards have changed and a band must always look how to evolve and so this is in my opinion a positive change but as every changes it will make some time to assimilate. The sound of the 70’s has been refreshed and Witchcraft is one of the best representative of this “new” era.