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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

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