ALBUM REVIEW: Witching Hour – …And Silent Grief Shadows The Passing Moon

Here I review the new album from Extreme Metal band Witching Hour, this is set for release on December 21st via Hells Headbangers!

1. …And Silent Grief Shadows The Passing Moon / Once Lost Souls Return begins things with soulfully depressive clean guitar work that sets beautifully dark mood filled with ambience. The huge sounding lead work and drums soon join us to complete the instrumentals with a true melancholy that is incredibly heartfelt. Everything working perfectly in balance and unison to create a heartbreakingly warm vibrancy. We are then thrown into lurching riffs that are melodic and catchy with some really interesting timing choices that create an unnerving passage into more progressive musicianship. The gloriously more thrashy sections met with gruesome vocals have a really epic 80s feel and drive everything into the next phase of obliterating Extreme Metal that remains melodic and sombre but with added aggression. An absolutely fantastic opening track that has everything contained in an almost 11 minute opus of grand Metal!
2. The Fading Chime Of A Graveyard Bell blisters in with more speedy riffs, gorgeously pristine guitar harmonies, pummelling drums and groovy bass that just comes together with its classic production style to make something truly beautiful. The grisly vocals add so much atmosphere to the piercingly intense grinding track and elevate it into new ground. This is some truly unique music that is just so stunningly atmospheric, sombre and yet will still assault you with its thrashy and primal energy. The songwriting is fantastic on its own but the brilliant performance allows it to be utilised to its full extent. Another absolutely amazing track, totally haunting!
3. From Beyond They Came punches right in, following on perfectly where the last track left. The crushingly intense riffs, hideously dissonant vocals and barrages of drum beats all come into a head with total ferocity once again. The fearsome speeds and yet enticingly warm tones create a balance that is absolutely immense, creating some truly impacting Heavy Metal with everything one could possible desire, or at least to my ear. The catatonically brutal assault of the piece, thunderous bass, thrashy drums and killer guitars are improved only by the massive vocal performance, this is truly astounding music that demands respect. The vocals on this piece had a really strong Bathory vibe to them which I just loved. Once more,  a phenomenal piece of music.
4. Sorrow Blinds His Ghastly Eyes chugs in with true Speed Metal riffs, more gorgeous lead harmonies, pummelling drums and tight bass that all just decimates anything in its path. This is immensely catchy and immediately recognisable due to the bands versatile and unique soundscape that they create, one I will surely not forget any time soon. Blistering songwriting, stunning performance and just sheerly glorious musicianship is ever-present on this album. The chilling vocals add so much darkness to the otherwise upbeat music giving it a wonderfully juxtaposing and fascinating style that to me was addictive from the albums onset. I truly feel absorbed in this record, more than usual, to me that is truly an amazing thing. Needless to say, I loved this song as well.
5. Behold Those Distant Skies comes in with soaring leads, punky bass lines and punchy drums that create a really different feel to the other tracks whilst fitting beautifully into the album and in no way feeling out of place, I truly commend the band for that. I love a wild card track like this that shouldn’t fit but does, it truly brings the album into a whole new light that showcases the best abilities of the musicians and how truly diverse their skills are. The rhythmic yet warm thrashing of the song is truly spectacular and enjoyable from start to end with a constant feeling of joy to it for me, very different than the initial melancholy of the album which almost seems like a distant thing of the past, yet still resonates through me. This piece was much upbeat and fun that the others but remained equally excellent and to this point the album has been consistently wonderful.
6. As I Walk Among Sepulchral Ruins is sadly the final track of the album, I am certainly curious and excited to see how the band finish off such a killer release. Setting in with bleak guitars, much like how the album began with a much more sombre feel, but also a vibe that it will be built into something huge. The furious vocals introduce more hectic drums, chaotically fantastic guitars and just more driven madness from the band. It is evident they want to go out in style with one last bout of frenzied Extreme Metal mania, which I respect. The melodies are beautifully contradictory to the hellish vocals and gruesome instrumentals, which sound so killer together. The organs were an awesome touch and the very last section once more brings totally emotive, soulful and tearfully beautiful clean guitars back for one last piece of melancholy. A truly excellent final piece of the album and a totally suitable finish to it, amazing work!

This release contains a wide range of melodies with a biting aggression but also a bittersweet melancholy that is all in perfect balance with musicianship and songwriting to match. Absolutely brilliant album, a must listen for a total adventure into Extreme Metal! –10/10