WYTCH HAZEL
V: LAMENTATIONS (CITADEL STONE MARBLED VINYL)

Lancastrian rock apostles Wytch Hazel have been building their citadel since 2011, when debut single Surrender introduced this boldly wholesome new voice to the British metal underground. Since then, the quartet have continually underscored and bolstered a signature sound rooted in heroic days of yore, but finessed to an elegant apex by long-time producer Ed Turner. That sonic alchemy coalesces all over V: Lamentations, bubbling with even more febrile creativity than previous masterworks Prelude, II: Sojourn, III: Pentecost and IV: Sacrament.   The latter, bizarrely, reached number seven on the UK 'Christian & Gospel' chart, due to a mis-classification at the UKCC, despite selling enough to clinch the ‘Rock / Metal’ album top spot.

"Quintessentially British-sounding proto-heavy metal, steeped in the mystical harmonies of Wishbone Ash, the heartfelt balladry of Thin Lizzy and the eccentric folk rock of Jethro Tull” - Metal Hammer

Thank the metal gods for bands like Wytch Hazel. Classic rock revivalists might be 10 a penny at this stage, but too many of them feel incapable of wielding the magic of the old ways – or simply come on with a sort of faded copy-of-a-copy-of-a-copy bloodlessness. This Lancastrian quartet make records that feel authentically more likely to have been dusted off from a forgotten corner of your cool uncle’s vinyl collection than crafted in the glare of modern metal’s sterile high sheen.  KERRANG!

 

 

"Wytch Hazel may be a somewhat eccentric proposition (they perform in full 'battle wear', rope belts and all), but this is the sound of a deeply assured band, melodically astute, raw and idiosyncratic; hymns of vim propelled by duelling Thin Lizzy-esque licks and a musical aesthetic that reaches back not just decades but centuries". The Quietus

"Retro heavy rockers Wytch Hazel have drawn quite a bit of attention these last few years with a consistent stream of excellent and always-improving albums—and for their unabashed love for their lord and saviour Jesus Christ...their third album III: Pentecost came out on Bad Omen Records to near-universal acclaim (aside from a bit of grumbling from metalheads who that are less interested in Christian lyrics). For the uninitiated, Wytch Hazel sound quite a bit like the glory days of early heavy metal just before Iron Maiden and Saxon took over the world; some good references are Ashbury, Wishbone Ash, and Pagan Altar, but Wytch Hazel’s sound is all their own" - Invisible Oranges