MODERN WITCHCRAFT – MODERN WITCHCRAFT

(Andy Synn finds himself enchanted by the debut release from Ohio’s Modern Witchcraft)

As I’ve mentioned several times, it’s difficult (read: impossible) for us to keep up with every new band that comes out and every new release they come out with.

Heck, it’s not exactly easy, either, keeping track of all the bands we already know about, especially when they decide to change their names – which is the case with Modern Witchcraft.

Previously known as Close the Hatch (whose 2020 album, also entitled Modern Witchcraft, was a low-key favourite of mine that year) I had pretty much given up hope of ever hearing anything from these guys again until, out of the blue, I stumbled across the video for “Corpse Painter” a little over a week ago.

Some part of me immediately recognised that particular mix of moody percussion, brooding bass, and reverberating guitars… and when those instantly identifiable vocals kicked in I knew exactly who this must be, regardless of what they were calling themselves now.

And I also knew, as soon as the song finished, that I’d be writing about this record as soon as I could.

Now, whether you call it an EP or an album – the band themselves refer to it as an EP, so that’s what we’ll go with, but at a shade under thirty-minutes it’s not much shorter than some albums (hell, it’s only about thirty seconds shorter than Reign In Blood), so maybe “mini-LP” would be better? – there’s no question that this is about as good an introduction (or re-introduction) to music of Modern Witchcraft as you could hope for.

Picking up almost (but not quite) exactly where they left off in their previous incarnation, the band’s signature “Doom-gaze” sound combines the introspective intensity of the Deftones at their doomiest with the immersive atmosphere of A Perfect Circle at their dreamiest, while also incorporating a hefty helping of Chelsea Wolfe‘s gloomy glamour and, if my ears don’t deceive me, Soundgarden‘s grungy grit as well.

With all that being said, it quickly becomes clear that Modern Witchcraft are more than just the sum of their influences, as the opening pairing of “Death Waves” and “Corpse Painter” – all shimmering soundscapes and layers of dreamy distortion, propelled by a series of thick, throbbing bass-lines and a pulsing percussive heartbeat – quickly put paid to any idea that the band’s destiny is solely determined by their (musical) DNA.

And although, for the most part at least, Modern Witchcraft isn’t what you might call a traditionally “heavy” release (with the churning, Cult of Luna-esque “Sugar For Rats”, which also features an appearance from Kittie‘s Morgan Lander – whose sister Mercedes provides all the synths and keys on the record – being the most obvious and overt exception to this particular rule) it definitely has an undeniable weight and presence to it, which is only enhanced by the clever contrast between ephemeral ambience and doomy heft which makes tracks like “Bible Belt Baphomet” and “Faithful Lies” so effective (and affecting).

So while the quartet may be firmly ensconced in the underground for now I can already foresee – given the right opportunity – some real cross-over potential in their future (the mesmerising “Honey Creeper” in particular, if it were to reach the right ears, could easily be a major, if somewhat melancholy, radio hit with its captivating combination of Post-Rock meets Post-Grunge meets Post-Doom vibes) and I’m hopeful that, by writing about them here, I’ll have played at least a small part in boosting their profile… as they definitely deserve it.