Mountain Witch - Cold River
Posted by Captain Beyond Zen on Sunday, October 27, 2013
All fans of Kadavar, Uncle Acid & the deadbeats, Graveyard and Horisont: Pay attention! The new 70's hard rock/retro/occult sensation is knocking at your door! Mountain Witch serve a proper brew of awesome Sabbathian riffs and 70's hard rock melodies which you could wish for. If you were disappointed with Sabbath's 13, you should continue reading.
Mountain Witch's 'Cold River' stream plays consistently on my PC for more than a week now and I can't get enough of this old-school, dark and gritty doom rock. You could accuse the band to ride on the occult rock wave but Mountain Witch combine all these familiar elements to a great listening experience.
Mountain Witch was initially formed as an instrumental project by guitarist Rene Sitte and drummer Rene Roggmann in Hamburg, Germany. In the summer of 2009 they recorded their debut album 'Scythe & Dead Horse'. Since then they recruited a third member in bass player Tobert Knopp and Rene Roggmann took over the vocals additionally. Tomorrow the stunning result will be released on This Charming Man Records.
The atmosphere of the songs are absolutely breathtaking in their vintage majesty. Guitarist Rene Sitte knocks out one killer riff after the other. The rhythm section creates haunting grooves, which rattle & shake the listener into delirium. 'Cold River' starts with the fantastic instrumental 'Snake Wand' with flowing guitar riffs, pumping bass lines and officially approved drums. The second song 'Shrubbery The Warlock' offers these unforgettable creepy guitar licks, which remind me of Uncle Acid. This song is one of my favourites and together with the majestic vocals it is a modern classic of the genre. The third song 'Ancient Light' starts with a few remarkable doom riffs, which catapults you into the dark cosmos of Mountain Witch. Creeping and bewitching with a superb faster instrumental part at the end. Another highlight!
'Sleepers Chant' begins with a lulling bass line and has some great instrumental parts. The vocals set in late but great. 'The Covey' is a mighty hammer of a song and one of the faster songs on this album. 'Once I Am King' is heavy with staccato riffs and a silent middle part with a psychedelic guitar solo and soulful vocals. Awesome. 'School Of Night' starts with chirping of crickets and more Sabbathian riffing than Black Sabbath. 70's Doom par excellance! The last song 'Cold River', a ballad with pianos and vintage guitars, is a worthy final performance of this epic masterpiece. (10/10)
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