Wytch Hazel – IV: Sacrament
Release Date: 2nd June 2023
Label: Bad Omen Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Traditional Metal, Classic Rock.
FFO: Tanith, White Magician, Angel Witch, Steeleye Span, Judas Priest.
Review By: Eric Wilt
The past is constantly coming back in vogue. From bell-bottoms to big hair, from neon colors to flannel shirts, the styles of the past are never too far from a resurgence. The same is true for music. Recently, we have seen a harkening back to the days of death metal in its infancy, nu-metal has found a way to be relevant again, and the classic sounds of traditional metal are being brought back in a big way by Wytch Hazel. On IV: Sacrament, the band, which is made up of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Colin Hendra, Alex Haslam on guitar, Andy Shackleton on bass, and Aaron Hay on drums, continues to produce a type of traditional metal that has the galloping bass of Iron Maiden, the dual guitar leads of Judas Priest, and the big choruses with layered vocals like Angel Witch but still finds a way to create a sound that is all their own. With lyrics firmly grounded in Christianity and production as crisp and clear as you will find anywhere, Wytch Hazel is carving their own path and I, for one, am glad to go along for the ride.
Hendra, who wrote all of the music, played guitars, and recorded drums for the album, and he obviously has a specific sound that he is looking for. If you have heard any of Wytch Hazel’s previous three albums, you know what you are getting on IV: Sacrament. Songs like Angel of Light, Deliver Us, and A Thousand Years sound like they could’ve been picked from the sessions of any of those albums. But having a sound is not a bad thing, especially when your sound is as unique as Wytch Hazels. They are definitely grounded in traditional heavy metal, but the slight distortion they use on their guitars gives the music a Blue Oyster Cult feel. The Fire’s Control shows this, how the music can be heavy and so clear all at the same time. The opening riff on Endless Battle gets quite close to the heavy side of traditional heavy metal and makes a reappearance during the choruses of the song, making it one of the stand-outs on the album, while the folk sounds of Gold Sounds and Future is Gold’s put me in the mind of Steeleye Span and Wishbone Ash.
IV: Sacrament is Wytch Hazel doing what they do best, playing classic sounding rock with majestic vocals and pristinely crisp production. If you like traditional metal, I have a feeling that IV: Sacrament will be one of your favorite albums this year.
(4 / 5)
