Witchcraft – Black Metal

Label: Nuclear Blast
Releasedate: 01-05-2020

Magnus Pelander’s Witchcraft have existed at the forefront of occult tinged classic rock ever since their formation in 2000. The band released some genre-defining classic albums such as “Legend” and “Nucleus”. After four years of silence, Magnus Pelander is back with “Black Metal”, out via Nuclear Blast.

Dear listeners and enthusiasts, don’t be fooled by the album title because a full acoustic album is awaiting you. That is correct; the band’s mastermind Mr. Pelander took a rather unusual and creative approach this time and delivered us seven acoustic songs. Unlike the traditional doom/occult/stoner sound that we are familiar with, it is just Mr. Pelander and his guitar accompanying us for that full ‘unplugged’ experience. This style might be surprising at first but will captivate you in an instant thanks to a perfect composition and the magical harmony between the vocals and the guitar.

One highlight of “Black Metal” is definitely the vocals, reflecting the emotion and the melancholy very well. Just listen to songs like Sad Dog or Free Country and you will feel the true passion and dedication. Mr. Pelander shows us that sometimes all that a creative mind needs is the guitar and the dedication and the rest will follow… no need for fancy arrangements or long songs. This is exactly what I also like in this release; a total of 33 minutes is more than enough to soothe you, mesmerize you and take you to different places!

As a fan of Witchcraft’s “normal” style, I can say that I needed a release like this in these interesting times… and I am glad MP decided to take a different road this time and show us the raw and stripped side of Witchcraft with “Black Metal”. Perfect for road trips, meditation or if you just wanna forget your worries for a while… Definitely recommended!

Album Line up:

• Magnus Pelander – vocals, guitar

Tracklist
01. Elegantly Expressed Depression
02. A Boy And A Girl
03. Sad People
04. Grow
05. Free Country
06. Sad Dog
07. Take Him Away

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