Bewitcher: Under the Witching Cross (2019)

Bewitcher is yet another great metal band from the Pacific Northwest, and in particular, the recent metal hotbed of Portland, Oregon.  But unlike a lot of the other bands from the region, Bewitcher blends their black metal with speed and thrash metal.  The band's debut was a very good, if somewhat unoriginal, release.  But the infectiousness of it stood out far more than the lack of innovation.  And so, I was interested in how the follow-up would turn out.

The band has gotten more melodic on this release, honing their NWOBHM chops and oftentimes sounding more like a more blackened version of Venom.  Throw in some Riot and Iron Maiden riffs and you basically have Bewitcher.  Nowhere is this more evident than in second track "Hexenkrieg" which features a number of moments that could almost be mistaken for Venom references.  And tracks like "Heathen Women" are almost anthemic with a fist-pumping chorus and pedal-to-the-metal riffs.  And the thrash break toward the end is definitely going to snap some necks.

Far from being one-note and boring, Bewitcher is able to switch things up as needed.  "In the Sign of the Goat" is a far more deliberate song, slowing things down just enough to truly stand out from the rest of the songs.  It also features the catchiest chorus of all of the catchy choruses on this release.  That is saying something.  And the solo toward the end is face-melting.

This is a terrific album from yet another terrific Portland-based band.  There is definitely something in the water up there because the city continues to churn out amazing metal bands all the time.