We’re here at the tail end of July, and while Halloween and the darker, colder evenings still are a ways off, that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead and plan accordingly with the music we hear. There are certain sounds that feel the most alive during those decaying days, and when you hear it, you absolutely know it fits that timeframe perfectly.
Cleveland mashers Atomic Witch have a stranglehold on a lot of the spookier sounds, with their mix of death metal and vocal flourishes that reek (in a great way) of King Diamond. It’s tailor made for autumn, but it still sounds pretty great while we’re sweating through totally not human-generated heat that makes just going outside a chore. The band—vocalist Greg Martinis, guitarist/vocalist Jesse Shattuck, guitarist Jonah Meister, bassist David McJunkins, drummer Nick Amato—hammers and brings morbid tidings on “Death Etiquette,” their molten second record that is a metallic joy from start to finish. This is a goddamn metal record, and no one could think otherwise. It’s fun, it’s furious, and it’ll ravage you until dead leaves are decayed.
“Morgue Rat” tears open, vicious screams eating away at you, banshee wails coming over the chorus and scorching flesh. Guitars smear and an off-kilter attack rattles, leads raging to a fiery end. “Of Flesh & Chrome” chars and thrashes, the guitars maiming as the screaming/singing combo strikes again. In fact, the higher vocals sound like an air raid siren, nastiness working into a spacious solo, striking with utter force. “Worms & Dirt” flattens, the vocals powering, guitars lighting fires, a ’90s-style thrash force flexing its muscles. The soloing flows with energy as crazed singing stings, jarring to a blistering end. “Dream Rot” has the drums rousing and the guitars sweeping, shrieks raining down like blades. The leads flurry as the tones darken, the playing opens new tributaries, and guttural viciousness bleeds away.
“Sabbath Breaker” unleashes a death-like fury, the power crushing and bruising faces, the pace slowing but remaining furiously heavy. Gutting fury scrapes flesh, growls burrow into the dirt, and vicious gurgles circle the drain. “Death Edging (Come to the Light)” fades in from the outside, and it’s not long until the playing envelops, the howls maiming and stretching muscle. Melodic leads sweep, high singing scorches the flesh, and then the leads turn warm, flowing like muddy river water. “Skelecidal” has riffs toppling and a blisteringly heavy assault under taken, screams digging under fingernails. The guitars rise and scorch, acidic singing lathering, blasting home. Closer “Vicious Mistress” is smothering and bendy, trudging over meaty verses, the chorus swimming in blood. Wails destroy as the guitars aggravate, high-pitched screams piercing your ears viciously.
“Death Etiquette” is a bruising record with flashes of classic heavy metal, bruising as hard as anything in Atomic Witch’s admittedly smaller catalog. This is fun and fiery, a crushing display that’s full of electricity and horror, music that will remain a blast to hear until Halloween arrives. This is fun and violent as fuck, an album that should leave you plastered to the ground.
For more on the band, go here: https://atomicwitch.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.us/
Or here (Europe): https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.com/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.redefiningdarkness.com
Meat Mead Metal 