Acid Witch / Vaultwraith: Spooky Vol. II (Split 7� EP)

October is such a fun month. Not only do we get all manner of candy and costumes, but we also get all the cool Halloween-related merchandise. In this case, Hell’s Headbangers is giving us a tasty follow up to their 2014 split, Spooky, Volume 1. That release, which featured two tracks by Acid Witch and two by Nunslaughter, was crazy and controversial and ultimately sold quite a few copies. It was a solid release that, not surprisingly, paid homage to old-time horror comics while also giving us some cool dark metal. If you want to hear it, you can stream it on Bandcamp; you might even be able to pick up a vinyl picture disc if any are still available. Since that release proved so popular, Hells Headbangers (finally) decided to release a second volume, this time with two more songs by Acid Witch and two by Vaultwraith.

This release comes with a playful backstory that blends humor with horror in its tale of police finding a single copy of this release while searching for clues about a 17-year-old serial killer named Gregory Grandy. Although the police don’t have much to go on, they reassure all of us that this EP may contain some solid music. Those who have more information about the killer or about the spookier side of this release are encouraged to contact Hell’s Headbangers directly.

Both the opening track (“Jenifer�) and the third track (“Bewitch & Bedevil�) are inspired by the classic horror comics as found in the pages of Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella. The opener takes its name (and its inspiration) from a Bernie Wrightson story of the same name and is a strong tune in the folk horror genre. This creepy story, about a powerful and demonic girl, originally appeared in the July 1974 issue of Creepy and was adapted as an episode (directed by Dario Argento) for Masters of Horror in 2005. It also makes for a good song. “Bewitch and Bedevil� draws on similar materials generally and makes for a good companion piece to the somewhat stronger “Jenifer.� But as good as those songs are, the real highlight of this release is easily “Prophecy of the Black Spider,� a masterful piece of crossover thrash that captures Vaultwraith at their best. Since I’ve followed that band for a few years now, I’m very happy to hear more from these guys. They really can put together some solid stuff. The closer, “Cinema Wasted,� opens with a somewhat long audio sample of people talking and then dives directly into a solid and thrashy tune that ends a bit too soon.

Although the whole EP was good, the two thrash numbers stand out the most. I was especially fond of “Prophecy of the Black Spider.� Let’s hope we get to hear more from both bands soon.

Track Listing:
1. Acid Witch--Jenifer
2. Vaultwraith--Prophecy of the Black Spider
3. Vaultwraith--Bewitch & Bedevil
4. Acid Witch--Cinema Wasted

Added: October 27th 2021
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Bandcamp Page
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Language: english

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