Poland's Metal Mind Productions has given new life to often-overlooked or long-forgotten bands. Stormwitch are hailed in the liner notes to this reissue as "next to Helloween the biggest German heavy metal legend ever to walk this planet." Um, what about the Scorpions? Anyway, this limited-edition gold-disc reissue of Stormwitch's ninth album, 2004's Witchcraft, is my first exposure to the group, and I'll take this band's form of melodic so-called "black romantic metal" any day over Helloween's bombast.
During the course of 15 years, Stormwitch evolved from Judas Priest wannabes into a more keyboard-based, mid-tempo power-metal band, and Witchcraft is the second album the band released after an eight-year hiatus that began in 1994. It contains an impressive blend of traditional power-metal tracks ("At the Break of This Day," "Puppet in a Play"), mid-tempo rockers ("Frankenstein's Brothers," "Kiss of Death"), a power ballad ("Sleeping Beauty") and some deep-rooted wicked songs wrapped in religious imagery ("Sinister Child," "Fallen From God," featuring a creepy children's chorus).
Stormwitch remains active today, although the lineup has changed, and a new album, titled Season of the Witch, is imminent. Until then, Witchcraft is probably as good a place as any for newcomers to start.
Track Listing:
1) The Sinister Child
2) At the Break of This Day
3) Fallen From God
4) Frankenstein's Brothers
5) Until the War Will End
6) Witchcraft
7) Sleeping Beauty
8) Puppet in a Play
9) The Kiss of Death
10) Moonfleet
11) Salome
12) The Drinking Song
13) Blood Lies in My Hand (Bonus Track)
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