Review done by Kevin de Haas

 

Personally it took me a while to really appreciate the raw 'flooded basement sound' that has been purposely applied since the birth of black metal back in the 90's  but over time this sound grew on me. Not every band does this succesfully and even though it may sound that way, sometimes it's not even on purpose but just a matter of bad production. To be honest I don't really know which side of the fence WITCHES BREW is on, but I like it either way.
Ever wondered what a witches brew would sound like if it made any noise? Well here you have it!

It's dark, 'highly' dissonant and soaking wet death/black/doom/whatever kind of metal. And by that I mean that Witches brew is in a league of it's own. You either love it or hate it. From the distortion drenched guitar tones and the 'way in the back' sounding drums to the painfully rotten and agonizing vocals, everything on this record is an attack on the senses. Despite Witches Brew not really being my thing, I'm still intrigued and when it comes to emmersion, they definitely get the job done.

Their new record Concealed Casket is a wild ride through all kinds of dissonant landscapes that kept me on my toes the whole 41 minutes long. The first track Framed In Flames is pretty much old skool death. But with the vocals leaning a bit more towards black, it really gives the track a different twist. The second track Torture On The Hill on the other hand starts off full on black metal but later gradually descends into the same death metal routine as Framed In Flames.

 

To me the 2 tracks in the middle, Thousand Crosses Mark The Path and Protected By The Ejaculation Of Serpents, are the absolute pinnacle of this record. Very much death/doom in their core, these tracks really use the sound and the production to it's full potential. Making it some of the heaviest sludge I've heard coming from The Netherlands in quite a while.
Witches Brew is a refreshing concoction that, if you are up for someting different, might be right up your alley. But they are definitely not for everyone. Yes the production could be slightly better in my opinion. But maybe by doing so, they risk losing the atmosphere they try to bring across. While I was not familiar with Witches Brew, they definitely caught my attention. I enjoyed every minute of it and I sincerely hope you will do to.

Score: 7/10