Release
date: February 10th 2017. Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Ouija
– Tracklisting
1.
Intro
2.
Dead
3.
Drawing Down The Moon
4.
Ouija
5.
Mind Funeral
6.
A World of Darkness
Band
Members
Virginia Monti-Vocals
Mark Greening-assault and battery
Carl Geary-Bass
Greg Elk-guitar
Review
This
is a slightly bitter sweet experience for me.
As
he was to many people Greg Elk was a friend of mine. I played shows
with both of his previous bands HighElf and Goatthrone and shared
many a drink and many a daft story, and like everyone else who knew
him I'm deeply saddened he's no longer with us. Where ever you are
Greg I hope you're in a better place and I hope there are no
sideways drums. Especially with your reputation....
It
all started last year with a few little teaser trailers of a new band
emerging on the south coast and to begin with all we had was a name.
Dead Witches...
Once
we knew the band was the brainchild of Virginia Monti and the
prolific Mark Greening we knew we were in safe hands.
The
record starts with an ominous intro, rain, a Hammond organ and the
first of many rumbling bass lines (supplied by Carl Geary) as
haunting feedback peels out of the speakers and fades away into the
first proper track the bluntly titled "Dead"
A
lone guitar brings us in, followed by some of that trademark Greening
swagger and then the powerful and soulful vocals of Monti propel the
track along.
The
next couple of tracks "Drawing Down The Moon" and the
excellent "Ouija" follow a similar vein. Huge blues' tinged
riffs and some great little solos emphasise the really strong song
writing on this album as well.
"Mind
Funeral" (the first full track to be publicly aired) is next up
and whilst it got the same qualities as the preceding track's it's
just a bit nastier. A bit heavier. And a little bit more spiteful. I
love it. It's certainly my favourite song on the record.
The
album closes with "A World Of Darkness" which retains
the heavier and nastier vibe of "Mind Funeral" starting and
closing with a lone drumbeat.
Dead
Witches have released a bold and confident first record that's quite
rightly going to tick a lot of boxes for fans of occult tinged doom.
What the band will do next, I'm not sure but I do hope this isn't the
last we hear from them as I feel this is only the start of something
that's going to get better.
Words
by Simon Ross Williams
Thanks
to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Ouija will be available to
buy via Heavy Psych Sounds on CD/DD/Vinyl from February 10th 2017.
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