Though Angel Witch got their start in the mid-'70s and made a big impact with their self-titled debut in 1980, the band wasn't able to take full advantage of the booming New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement like many of their contemporaries, and by the mid-part of the decade the band faded away without a whisper. Fast forward to 2012 and founder/vocalist/guitarist Kevin Heybourne reformed the band for the promising As Above, So Below album, and now seven years later we have the follow-up, Angel of Light.
If you thought As Above, So Below was strong, you're in for a treat here on their new Metal Blade release. Joining Heybourne is Will Palmer (bass), Jimmy Martin (guitars), and Fredrik Jansson (drums), the latter two joining the band over the last couple of years. Together they've crafted a truly enjoyable 'heavy metal' album...that's right, pure, unadulterated heavy metal, the way it should be played. No frills, no gimmicks, just songs jammed with crunchy guitar riffs, blazing solos, thumping rhythms, confident vocals, and plenty of hooks. The excellent 1-2-3 punch of "Don't Turn Your Back", "Death From Andromeda", and "We Are Damned" kick things off in fine fashion, each one ultra-memorable and chock full of classic NWOBHM riff-o-rama. These are followed by the more moody, doomy, and proggy "The Night is Calling", complete with some haunting vocals courtesy of Heybourne, and that gives way to the rampaging "Condemned", a raging, boiling heavy metal barnburner with galloping drums and bombastic riffing. The propulsive drumming continues on the manic headbanger "Window of Despair", and the album concludes with the doom laden, Black Sabbath inspired "I Am Infamy" and the progressive tinged title track, the latter featuring plenty of complex riffery & drumming.
Angel of Light is ultimately an album that gets better and better with each listen, so if you haven't yet checked out this monster of a release, now's the time to do so!
Track Listing
01. Don't Turn Your Back
02. Death from Andromeda
03. We Are Damned
04. The Night is Calling
05. Condemned
06. Window of Despair
07. I am Infamy
08. Angel of Light
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