TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH / SEUM - Conjuring (Split Album Review)

Release Date: February 21st 2025. Record Label: Black Throne Productions. Formats: DD/Vinyl

CONJURING - SIDE A: TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH

1- EFFIGY 

2- ETERNAL LAMENTATION - 

3- FOUL OF SHADES

CONJURING - SIDE B: SEUM

4 - DEAD EAR

5 - PROBLEMS

6 - EFRIT

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch Members

Noah Bruner - Vocals/Guitar

Joe Peet - Bass

Taylor Christian - Drums

SEUM Members

Fred - Drums

Gaspard - Vocals

Piotr - Bass

Review

US Blackened Doom Metallers Temple Of The Fuzz Witch team up with Canadian Sludge/Stoner Metallers SEUM for this bleak addictive split album release CONJURING which allows both bands to stamp their own musical authority. The record is powerfully addictive with Temple Of The Fuzz Witch appearing first offering three tracks that expands their Blackened Doom/Sludge Mentality into a heavy area of depressing FUZZ and all of the debauchery that goes with playing that epic style of music. 

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch are more riff-orientated on this split record with an ELECTRIC WIZARD and EYEHATEGOD appetite appearing within the vocals and lyrics on each of the individual tracks with some surprising melodic Blackened Sludge Metal movement appearing on EFFIGY and FOUL OF SHADES. The final track of FOUL OF SHADES is where the magic happens creatively speaking for Temple Of The Witch being some of the best material they’ve written to date.

SUEM offer their usual blend of Sludge/Stoner Metal with small amounts of gloomy effects appearing which allows their “BASS” only sound decimate the FUCKING landscape with low and slow pounding grooves before a layer of distorted sounds destroys your hearing throughout. The opening track DEAD EAR by Seum is quite chaotic and has an hallucinogenic quality with despairing HARSH vocals creating a desolate landscape of punishing and experimental sounds that fits superbly well into the heavier sounds that Temple Of The Fuzz Witch are known for.

The other two tracks of PROBLEMS and EFRIT continues the DESTRUCTIVE and SONIC bombardment of downtuned filthy grooves with Piotr’s epic bass guitar punching holes into the musical atmosphere that could rival DOPETHRONE at times. The sound is completely dense and unforgiving with Fred’s drums and Gaspard’s vocals keeping the mood downright mean and nasty.

Conjuring is a damn fine split from TEMPLE OF THE WITCH and SEUM that should endear them to the wider hordes and legions of underground Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal fans.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Conjuring is available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Black Throne Productions now.

SEUM Links

Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Doom/Stoner Metallers SEUM Announce New Song EFRIT From Upcoming Split Release With TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WTICH

EFRIT is the newest single from SEUM off their upcoming split with Temple of the Fuzz Witch titled "CONJURING" - due for release in Fall 2024 via Black Throne Productions

The band comments: "We had our first drug experiences as kids with Moroccan Hashish. Cheap, mixed with weird stuff - the urban legend claims it was tires - it was a way to escape our daily teenage boredom but it could also take you on the worst paranoid trip.

Éfrit is about those days, we used this cunning Arabic demon as a metaphor and it inspired us to write one of our heaviest song to date: Éfrit chose us as her sons."

Please Note - due to delays in the recording studio, the finalized date for the full split release is still tentative for fall 2024 - however, Efrit is due for release on September 20th 2024.

BIO:

SEUM is a bass-only sludge band from Montreal (Canada) formed by 3 doom veterans formerly in Lord Humungus (Gaspard - vocals), Mlah! (Piotr - bass) and Uluun (Fred - drums). Adding a ferocious punk energy to their New Orleans inspired sludge, the band is known for its intense live performances, workaholic attitude and nihilistic, tongue-in-cheek lyrics.

SEUM means Venom in Arabic and is French slang for disappointment and frustration: No guitars.

The band released two albums, Winterized in June 2021, DOUBLE DOUBLE in February 2023 and is about to head to Europe for the Problems tour before releasing a split album with Temple of the Fuzz Witch on Black Throne Productions in Fall 2024.

CREDITS:

Written by Seum and Noureddine El Ouarite.
Recorded in March 2024 at the Seum-Cave by Marteau.
Mixed in May 2024 by Marteau.
Released via Black Throne Productions

 
LINKS:

Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Thanks to Black Throne Productions for all of the information.

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch - Apotheosis (Album Review)

Release Date: April 05th 2024. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Apotheosis - Tracklisting

1.A Call To Prey 04:49

2.Wight 04:05

3.Nephilim 04:43

4.Bow Down 03:25

5.Sanguine 04:28

6.Cursed 04:24

7.Raze 04:38

8.Apostate 04:59

9.Ashes 04:25

Review

Detroit, Michigan based Doom/Stoner Metallers Temple Of The Fuzz Witch continue their journey into the depths of Blackened Doom/Sludge Metal on their new album Apotheosis that offers a darker sonic blast of aggressive grooves compared to their previous albums. Though, at least Temple Of The Fuzz Witch retain their seedy Doom/Stoner Metal vibe that the band have built a fearsome reputation upon. This record is full of harsh sounding vocals and bleakly opaque Doomed Out movements with the band creating a more brutal monolithic tone whilst having a fantastic riff-centric element to their music.

The whole album may be too jarring for some of their long-time fans to fully get on board with as they move further and further away from the Street Level Doom sound they played on their previous two albums. Though, the band is more in alignment closely to the SATANIC sound you initially expect or believe. Listen to the fantastic opening tracks of A Call To Prey, Wight and Nephilim which has brutal vocals, harsh growls, guttural screams and fearless sludgy guitars which captures the band at their most DEMONIC with a fearless creative attitude to match. 

There’s still traces of their classic Detroit Doom sound within this record and Temple Of The Fuzz Witch still play massive amounts of Down-Tuned Fuzz/Stoner Metal on certain parts of the album. Taking the diverse Doom Metal sound of bands such as CONAN, Electric Wizard and even Primitive Man, the album becomes heavier and more interesting on the later stages of the record with tracks such as Bow Down, Sanguine, Raze, Apotheosis and Ashes. The mix of clean vocals and Classic Stoner Metal showcases that Temple Of The Fuzz Witch are quite happy to play their classic early sound but with that dominant Blackened Metal style never too far behind to keep the whole tone violently fresh and wholly inspired.

Apotheosis is quite frankly Temple Of The Fuzz Witch’s most impressive and exciting release to date. I'ma huge fan of 2020’s Red Tide but this propels the band into a different league with fresher and brutal ideas heard throughout the album. 

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch may have found the sound that will help them break through to the upper elite of the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene. This is a seriously first rate album full of dangerous grooves that will either leave you a shivering wreck or pummels you into submission.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Apotheosis is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

US blackened doom metal trio TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH to release new album "Apotheosis" on Ripple Music; stream debut single "Ashes"!

Detroit blackened doom trio TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH just signed to Ripple Music for the release of their third full-length "Apotheosis" on April 5th, and unleash their towering new single "Ashes" on all streaming platforms.

With riffs and lyrics as bleak and crushing as a Michigan winter, blackened doom outfit Temple of the Fuzz Witch brings a unique take on the doom genre, their unwaveringly nightmarish sonic processions being raised to another level with frontman Noah Bruner's jaw-dropping balance of crypt-worthy growls and astoundingly grunge-styled clean vocals. Never the darkness has felt so magnificent and compelling, and their aptly-titled third album "Apotheosis" has everything to put the mighty trio on every black and doom metal fan's radar for years to come.

Descend in the bleakness of TOTFW's new single "Ashes" 

Launched in 2017 with a 3-track EP, the Detroit three-piece has successively released two albums: "Temple of the Fuzz Witch" (2019) and "Red Tide" (2020). Temple of the Fuzz Witch is now set to unleash the beauty of its unique occult-driven nihilism with "Apotheosis". The album was recorded and mixed by Pete Grossman at Bricktop Recording, and mastered by Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio. Its artwork was created by Sarah Fazriah and Zoro (Mysteriousfour).

About the album, the band says: “The lyrics and concept are more overt and less cryptic than the previous Temple releases. Everything is bigger, heavier, and darker. Rather than making just another doom record, we wanted to do something that stepped outside of the box a little bit. Established fans will still find catchy riffs that are staples of doom but will be surprised with some new twists on the genre, with the introduction of blackened vocals and some more up-tempo tracks. Lyrically, the album is deeply rooted in the esoteric and spiritual. We came with a very introspective mindset, and each of us was able to add a little bit of our soul to it. When people hear the lyrics and music together, they will find something fresh but dark to connect with.”

TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH "Apotheosis".- Out April 5th on Ripple Music (vinyl/CD/digital) International preorder - US preorder

TRACKLIST:

1. A Call To Prey
2. Wight
3. Nephilim
4. Bow Down
5. Sanguine
6. Cursed
7. Raze
8. Apostate
9. Ashes

 
TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH is:

Noah Bruner - Vocals / Guitar / Synth
Joe Peet - Bass
Taylor Christian - Drums

TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH links

Facebook ⎪ Bandcamp ⎪ Instagram ⎪ Spotify

RIPPLE MUSIC links

Website ⎪ Facebook ⎪ Bandcamp ⎪ Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all the details. 

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch - Red Tide (Album Review)

Release date: October 16th 2020. Label: Interstellar Smoke Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Red Tide – Tracklisting

1.Baphomet 04:58
2.Cherenkov Light 05:30
3.The Others 05:57
4.Dead's Desire 06:13
5.Cimmerian 09:30
6.Agony 07:21
7.Ungoliant 06:15

Review

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch return with their 2nd album - Red Tide - and it's what you expect from this hugely talented outfit. Carrying on with their heavy Doom/Stoner Metal riffs first heard on their last album. The band feel and sound more heavier on this record with the Detroit rockers using their Doom Metal surroundings to their advantage on this record. The vocals are more grounded and you can feel that from the superb opening song – Baphomet.

The song is a gloomy prospect with the mixture of Heavy Metal, Doom Metal, Psych Rock and Stoner Metal being constructed with each passing moment. The heavy guitars are quite FUZZY in places and should appeal to fans of Black Sabbath and Church Of Misery. Well, maybe not as sinister as Church Of Misery but the atmosphere can be just as heavy and the lyrics just as poetic.

Second song – Cherenkov Light – is a more theatrical and progressive style of Doom/Stoner Metal with the band adding surreal Psychedelic noises which only add to the claustrophobic effect. Parts Sabbath and Uncle Acid music worship are instantly recognizable but Temple Of The Fuzz Witch employ their own blend of Heavy Rock/Metal with elements of FUZZ ROCK being used for delicious effect. The song becomes more theatrical in the closing moments and has a more 70s classic Doom Metal feel that only makes the song standout even more.

Third song – The Others – is another deftly played slow effort with the band biding their time for the heavy atmospheric grooves to appear. The vocals are more restrained but are helped along by superb lyrics that really sell the whole vision of the album to the listener. The Psychedelic movements can be heard in the background amongst the heavy riffs and fantastic drumming that the song contains.

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch move into the more heavy Progressive Doom side of life for the next part of the album with songs such as:: Cimmerian and Agony – leading the way for the more interesting creative choices the band have written for this album. I would say Cimmerian is perhaps the standout song on the album.

Though there is a lot to admire with all the songs. As they all bring a sense of individuality to the overall flow and story of the album.

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch have released another excellent record with Red Tide and it’s one that will keep you entertained over and over again.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch - S/T (Album Review)

Release date: March 08th 2019. Label: Seeing Red Records. Format: CD/DD

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch – S/T – Tracklisting

1. Bathsheba - 5:45

2. Death Hails - 3:52

3. The Glowing of Satan - 6:21

4. 329 - 6:53

5. infidel - 6:16

6. The Fuzz Witch - 6:27

7. Servants Of The Sun - 5:38

Review

Detroit doom masters Temple Of The Fuzz Witch return with their self titled debut album. Having garnered acclaim with their debut EP from a couple of years ago and having whetted our whistle further with the Bathsheba single from last year, the band finally unleash their first full length to much anticipation and it definitely lives up to that anticipation.

That single opens the album and those already familiar, with both that song and Temple Of The Fuzz Witch will know that they excel in huge doom laden riffs executed with electricity along with trademark hazy vocals.

From then on in, alongside those huge riffs, the album takes in more stoner-esque grooves and even some funeral doom vibes but they never lose sight of what they want to achieve and that is to knock the listener sideways with the garagatuan sound of their riffs.

The likes of The Glowing Of Satan, Infidel and The Fuzz Witch certainly do that, great swathes of noisey guitar led goodness explodes from the speakers throughout these tracks in particular and it is easy to see why the band are named Temple Of The Fuzz Witch, the fuzzy riffs contained are a thing of triumph and beauty.

There is an eclecticism at work here too though, especially on a song like 3/29 which slows things down even further and adds a sludgy feel to proceedings to maximum effect and even on the song that closes the album, Servants Of The Sun, which is a mellower affair than what has gone on before and still packs a punch, these two songs however are still propelled, of course, by those killer riffs and that makes for a superbly enjoyable listening experience.

Temple Of The Fuzz Witch is prime Sabbath worship from a band who follow that blueprint naturally but add different elements of their own personality to create a well executed and assured debut album. The riffs that litter the album are immense and elevate the well crafted songs into something that is infinitely great and demonstrate that this is a band with a bright future ahead of them for sure.

Words by Gavin Brown

Thanks to Seeing Red Records. Temple Of The Fuzz Witch will be available to buy on CD/DD via Seeing Red Records from March 8^th 2019.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp