Bewitched: At the Gates of Hell (1999)

This is the third post in a four-part look at the first four albums released by Swedish black/thrash metal band Bewitched.  This was the band's third album, released in 1999.

Bewitched remained a power trio on this release, but there was a lineup change.  Drummer Reaper was out, replaced by Stormlord.  Meanwhile, Vargher settled in as the primary vocalist/guitarist while Wrathyr continued on bass.  While settling in as a power trio, the band began to truly emulate another such trio: the legendary Venom.

The band stripped down their sound even more on this release, which is sort of impressive given how much extraneous stuff the band eliminated between their first and second albums.  At this point, the band is not at all concerned with creating a dark atmosphere and more interested in simply rocking.  The result is a no-holds-barred assault on the eardrums with traditional metal riffs, catchy choruses and gruff vocals.

Unfortunately, some of the songs sound a little TOO much like Venom.  Songs like the title track and "The Devil's Daughters" sound like outtakes from Welcome to Hell.  That is not necessarily a bad thing, but Bewitched seems to be losing their identity, going too far in this direction.  The cover song of Thor's "Let the Blood Run Red" is also a little out-of-place, especially with the drastic change in vocal style.

This is not the strongest album in this box set, but it is still decent enough.  The songs are a ton of fun, even if Bewitched at this point sounds too much like Venom.