Initial Impressions: Witchery: Witchkrieg

Witchery is finally back after a four year hiatus following a mostly disappointing album. The band can be considered a super group, formed by members of The Haunted and Arch Enemy and basically being formed from the ashes of Satanic Slaughter. This time around the vocalist is the great Legion from Marduk and Devian, and one of my favorite evil-sounding black metal vocalists. Hearing him do Swedish thrash is a little different but he of course sounds great.

Swedish thrash has never really taken off as its own scene to the extent that German and Bay Area thrash has done. There are several good groups in the scene including Witchery, The Haunted, Carnal Forge, The Crown, and others, but it has not risen to the same level of notoriety. Nor does it really deserve to do so. Don't get me wrong, there are some good albums, but it doesn't have the same dynamics as other scenes.

As I said, Witchery's previous album was a bit lackluster, but this album sounds great. The thrash is brutal and fast, the vocals are dark and evil, the riffs are mostly impressive, and the solos are great. The band has rediscovered its menacing edge and this whole album sounds like a malevolent force of evil. The additional guitar solos by guest members of bands like Mercyful Fate, Exodus, Slayer, and others are definitely interesting. It does make one wonder what's wrong with Witchery's guitarist, but I would imagine it has more to do with the potential marketability than anything else.

The only real issue that I have with this album is that it does tend to drag a little bit as it continues. Other than that, many of the songs are fairly impressive and this is a very good return-to-form album for the Swedish thrash group.