It’s been 6 agonising years since Sweden’s blackened thrash-meisters Witchery last unleashed their brand of furious devilment upon the world with 2010’s ‘Witchkreig’. That’s a long time for any band to wait between releases, and though Witchery have remained a vital staple of the world’s live circuit, coming back with new recordings after such a lengthy absence is always a daunting task. Thankfully, mere seconds into ‘Lavey-athan’, the opener to the band’s new full-length ‘In His Infernal Majesty’s Service’, it’s clear that nothing has been lost in the intervening years, and that Witchery have returned as bloody-minded and forked tongued as ever.
This isn’t exactly the same Witchery that we last heard in 2010, however. Long time drummer Martin Axenrot has departed to concentrate on other musical endeavours, now replaced by Chris Barkensjo. More controversially, in the period since ‘Witchkreig’, Witchery have replaced their vocalist not once, but twice – Erik Hagstedt/Legion having left in 2011 to be replaced by Emperor Magus Caligula, who himself was forced to step down due to a hearing-related medical condition earlier this year. New frontman Angus Norder makes his debut with the band here, and fans can rest easy – Norder’s vocal performance throughout the album is razor sharp, providing exactly the right mix of effective enunciation and glass-gargling grit that Witchery’s storm of thunderous metal deserves.
‘In His Infernal Majesty’s Service’ is a sacreligious blast of Satan-fuelled black’n’roll that ticks pretty much every box on the Swedish Extreme Metal checklist. From the Entombed-esque licks and funeral march organ of ‘Escape From Dunwich Valley’ to the overt Slayer worship of ‘Nosferatu’, Witchery have proven yet again that they’ve spent their 20 years as a band well, honing their abilities with deadly precision. The guitar performances by Jensen (also of The Haunted) and Rikard Rimfalt (Seance) are spectacular throughout, mixing the buzzsaw carnage of Gothenburg Death Metal – particularly on the Dismember-like closer ‘Oath Breaker’ – with more nuanced, melodic work. Rimfalt’s leads and solos in particular are stunning – never needlessly virtuosic, but always interesting and in tune with each song’s tone and feel. There are many shredders in the world of extreme music, but finding a player with a sense of restraint that matches their skill is valuable, and in this respect Witchery are a special band indeed.
The production work on the album by Daniel Bergstrand is outstanding, managing to ride the line between raw fury and crisp polish. Each riff cuts through with absolute clarity, yet retains the dark and rusted edge necessary for this kind of Black Metal to really hit home. Sharlee D’Angelo’s bass is solid throughout, which helps keep the guitars on track. So often the bass feels like an afterthought in extreme music, so it’s a welcome change to be able to hear and feel the instrument here. The drum production is also killer, drummer Chris Barkensjo apparently having begged producer Bergstrand for a sound akin to Alex Van Halen’s ‘aggressive middy’ sound on Van Halen’s legendary ‘1984’ album. It appears that Barkensjo got his wish, his blast-beats sounding like Zeus throwing lightning bolts at warships – metallic and booming but struck with the precision and deft touch of a god.
Having carved out a two-decade legacy for themselves, that Witchery are able to release an album as savage as ‘In His Infernal Majesty’s Service’, even with a recently renewed line-up, is testament to a band committed to moving forward and pushing their own boundaries. Any self-respecting fans of death, black or thrash metal (or any combination therein) will find plenty to wreck their neck muscles to on this album. Go do His Infernal Majesty a service and pick up a copy.
JAMES LEE