Skip to main content

Witch Tripper - I, Of The Storm

Release Date - April 14th 2018

Track Listing

1. White Lines
2. State Of Mind
3. I Of The Storm
4. Poonstar
5. Roll The Dice
6. Hell Bound
7. High In The Sun
8. Cut Me Loose
9. The Road, It Hurts


 I'm fairly new to Witch Tripper having only heard their first self titled album a few months ago. It was at an event where my band shared to the bill with them that I first saw them. Based on that performance I had to see them again. I did. I wrote a review of it here. A selection of songs from this release were played at said gig and I now have to good fortune to be able to tell you what I think of the whole thing weeks before it's release.

 In a comparison to the first album the production is noticeably improved. It's less raw with a thicker and deeper guitar tone. Their self professed style is 'Stoner/Groove Rock and Roll' and largely I would agree with that based on the first album. This second album takes that and adds what I would call more traditional metal to the mix. The whole tone is a bit darker than the previous release. There are elements that I would consider very Metallica and Iron Maiden. I'll explain as I go on.

 Opening track 'White Lines' doesn't ease you in gently. The quick tempo stabs soon roll straight into the head banging groove that sets the pace for the album. This track and the following track ' State Of Mind' are the most Metallica-esque thinking of their last 2 albums. I don't think this was intentional and it's in no way a bad thing as I'm a big Metallica fan. 'I Of The Storm' for me sounds instrumentally like it could have been on Iron Maiden's Powerslave album. Richie Barlow's distinctive growl is what keeps all of this sounding 'Witch Tripper' over the whole album so don't think it's a complete change of style. 'Poonstar' is the first track that introduces a bit of sleaze to the sound and those rock and roll elements of something like Led Zeppelin. The next rack 'Roll the Dice' slows the tempo right down to a smoking blues speed. It allows Richie to show us his licks over the steady rumbling bass lines laid down by Chris Doughton. After that break we get straight back into classic rock and roll territory with 'Hell Bound' and 'High In The Sun'. Witch Tripper don't do ballads but I suppose 'Cut Me Loose' is the closest thing to one on here. For me it's the weakest track on the album. I fully support the right to experiment but it doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the songs. The closer 'The Road, It Hurts' get right back to what they do best. Riffing like there's no tomorrow. It ends the album on a high note and would hope to see it played in the live set as it might be my top track on here.

My conclusion is that this album is right up my alley in terms of style. I'm not just saying it's good. It genuinely is. I wouldn't have reviewed it if it was toss. It is a step forward for the band and hopefully will take them to the next level. You can pre-order/buy it at

 https://witchtripperuk.bandcamp.com/album/i-of-the-storm

I advise that you do.

Rating - 9/10

Best Track - The Road, It Hurts

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tremonti - A Dying Machine

Released - June 8th © 2018 Napalm Records Handels GmbH Track listing 1. Bringer Of War 2. From The Sky 3. A Dying Machine 4. Trust 5. Throw Them To The Lions 6. Make It Hurt 7. Traipse 8. The First The Last 9. A Lot Like Sin 10. The Day When Legions Burned 11. As The Silence Becomes Me 12. Take You With Me 13. Desolation 14. Found Mark Tremonti is a guitarist I've followed since the end of Creed (wasn't a massive fan of that). His work with Alter Bridge and his previous solo albums though have all been worthy of well more than a passing listen. His skills on the guitar improve with every release and in the case of the Tremonti albums, so have his vocals. After a slightly disappointing release from his Alter Bridge colleague earlier in the year I was quietly confident that the next Tremonti release (this one) would not let me down. Largely I'd say it hasn't. The steady increase in quality from his previous 3 albums reaching what appear...
Post a Comment
Read more

Whitesnake - Flesh and Blood

Release date : May 10th 2019 Whitesnake fans are often divided between which era of the snake is the best. Some prefer the more old school bluesy approach of the early days but to me that's too close to the deep purple sound compared to what would eventually become what is to me the 'signature' sound. That is the John Sykes / Steve Vai big hair '1987' and 'slip of the tongue' era. What keeps Whitesnake consistent are the powerhouse vocals of the legendary David Coverdale. In his prime he was one of the best vocalists in rock music as far as I'm concerned. Years of screaming like the rock god he is has taken it's toll on the old vocal chords though because in recent years at live shows you can hear that the high scream is more a metal roar and you can sometimes hear the struggle to reach where he should be. That's if I had to criticise. I think it's forgivable given his career. Another thing worth noting is the whoever is...
Post a Comment
Read more

Best of 2018

I haven't posted for a while mostly because I've been obsessed with old albums I've discovered and this is not what this blog is about for me. It's about promoting what is new because despite the cries that rock and metal are dead. It's just not true. I'm going to share with you my top five releases from this year that I heavily recommend. I know the year isn't technically over yet but if something new comes in I'll let you know No.1 Judas Priest's 'Firepower' is the definition of heavy metal from the legends that created it. A well deserved top spot. No.2 Doomsday Outlaw take the second spot with 'Hard Times'. Only on their second album they have delivered a belter and hopefully have a lot more where this came from. No.3 Album number 3 comes from local (to me) stoner groove metallers Witch Tripper. 'I, of the storm' is another second album that see's the band reach a new level and one that should defin...
Post a Comment
Read more