Witch - Paralyzed

Witch
Paralyzed
(03.2008, Tee Pee)
Verdict = "indie" metal?

All I can think right now is that somehow I got hoodwinked into listening to this album. I have no doubt that scores of indie rock followers will as well seeing as how the legendary Joseph Donald Mascis is manning the stick. What is the catch? Witch is as straight forward a metal band as you’re likely to find. And when I am talking metal, I am talking the Guitar Hero III metal right next to Dragonforce in bonus songs. Everything is here, screaming guitars, pummeling bass and pounding drums (which J plays pretty terrifically). However, I guess it is important to say that while the standards of some blessed out metal mania are present, the group is void of some of the standard Dungeons and Dragons doominess that seems to be parading throughout the genre. To be honest, I am probably way off base here. In all honesty, there really isn’t a good reason that I am reviewing a metal album. I listened to (and enjoyed) the last two Mastodon records. Does that count? I guess what I am trying to say is that I’ll take my token metal bands and run with them. Witch seems like that type of worthy crossover. With a dose of Iggy Pop and a bit of Comets on Fire haze, Witch is the kind of Metal that I can indulge in regardless of my generally wussiness. There are no apologies here: Witch is out for souls in the most rock n’ roll way possible and I for one am selling.

-Mr. Thistle

Listen to Witch on the Tee Pee site