(Witches Brew)
Rating: 7.0
Debut from a fairly new Canuck single-guitar quartet, who opt for old school speed metal, albeit with female vocals. For those that remember, sounds like the early ‘80s Znöwhite material. Limited to just 300 copies, guess most will have to be happy with the digital download (check out Bandcamp). Chaotic and over-the-top is the name of the game, but in an admirable, fun-loving way.
The no-holds-barred title track kicks things off, followed by a bit of guitar subtlety to introduce “Death Stare”, during which, Cara McCutchen (ex-Mortillery) drops a couple of repeated F-bombs, in her normal girlie register (no growls/death vox here). There’s also some blazing solo work on that one, courtesy of Jeff Black (Gatekeeper/Glyph). Nice!
“Cry Of The Wolf” continues the rapid & raw blitzkrieg, complete with a few corny wolf howls. Surprisingly, their signature tune (“On Fire”) begins as a mid-paced instrumental jaunt, then shifts into a staccato, almost punk vibe, but never approaching the top end of the tachometer (as elsewhere on the eight track outing). Same can’t be said of “I’ll Destroy You”, up next. It leaps out of the speakers, from jump, and never wanes.
The repetitive titular phrase comprises 90+% of the lyrics and as it progresses Cara’s voice gets a little more aggro (and, unlike elsewhere on the disc, verging on hoarse). “Kill ‘Em All” sees the vocalist screaming out the words atop another shredding musical context. A crash of six-string feedback starts “Allegiance To None”, while the “Tomorrow” finale is the most melodic cut, with an infectious, energetic bounce.
Basically a pre-fab exercise tape, this is not “sit around & listen” music. Looking for a fun album to keep the party or (slam-) dance floor hopping? Take a bite.
Release date: January 24th, 2025
Source: bravewords.com
