Dead Witches - The Final Exorcism (Album Review)

Release date: February 22nd 2019. Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Final Exorcism – Tracklisting

1.There's Someone There 00:35

2.The Final Exorcism 07:32

3.Goddess Of The Night 08:08

4.When Do The Dead See The Sun 01:38

5.The Church By The Sea 07:33

6.Lay, Demon 05:47

7.Fear The Priest 09:29

Members

Mark Greening - Assault and Battery

Oliver Hill - Guitar

Carl Geary - Fuzz Bass

Soozi Chameleone - Vox

Review

Greetings all,

To all of you out there with a fondness for the dark and haunted, we have for you an offering of unrelenting dark vibes from the mighty Dead Witches. Anyone out there unfamiliar with the band, this is original Electric Wizard drummer and Ramesses main man Mark Greening’s latest incarnation. The band brings a serious creepy vibe and monstrous heaviness on their second record, The Final Exorcism.

It follows their impressive debut Ouija and builds on the occult based heaviness. The record also has the debut of new vocalist, Suzi Chameleone, who has a distinct and powerful voice that shines through the darkness of Greenings “assault and battery” drumming and the potent, fuzzed out guitar and bass of Oliver Hill and Carl Geary respectively. The Final Exorcism is stunning record from beginning to end the haunted imagery and dark, heavy rock the band delivers drives one to hell and pulls them back again numerous times throughout the seven amazing tracks.

There’s Someone There opens with a snippet from a horror flick before unleashing the big drums, fuzz heavy riffs and strong female vocals that are present throughout the record. The title track follows, The Final Exorcism brings a massive, slow riff that brings about a methodical decimation of the listener. The eerie, noisy Goddess of the Night unleashes heavy cymbal crashes and a psyched out heavy wah that lovingly assaults the listener before creeping away with a dark, psyched outro.

When do the Dead see the Sun is a bit of a change of pace. A shorter track with a slower, methodical pace that is reminiscent of a 60’s/70’s pop rock feel and male vocals, think the Kinks on a bad acid trip and you get my drift. The haunting and heavy riff of The Church by the Sea comes next. It’s anguished chorus “The Church by the Sea/It Will never let me be” carries the burdened soul of the song through a march inspired breakdown that brings the methodical monster to a close. The tempo picks back up a bit with Lay Demon, which has a big riff and a big heavy psych inspired solo.

Fear the Priest closes the album with a bombastic end. The track unleashes the creepy feel with some heavy phase into the breakdown, a fuzzy bassline and a wild outro.

Any fan of occult based rock will adore this offering from Dead Witches. There is not a misstep on the record. The band does a remarkable job conjuring deep, haunted imagery with the occult heavy darkness. Let us all pray that this isn't the band’s final exorcism. I, for one, need more. Dead Witches deserves our praise for doing what they do and doing it damn well. Dig on this!

- Todd S - Instagram @alltheghoststhathauntyou

Words by Todd Stealey

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR and Mona at All Noir PR for the promo. The Final Exorcism is out to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds now.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp