Band:	Bewitcher
Album:	Cursed Be Thy Kingdom
Style:	Blackened heavy metal, Blackened speed metal
Release date:	April 2021

01. Ashe
02. Death Returns...
03. Satanic Magick Attack
04. Electric Phantoms
05. Mystifier (White Night City)
06. Cursed Be Thy Kingdom
07. Valley Of The Ravens
08. Metal Burner
09. The Widow's Blade
10. Sign Of The Wolf [Pentagram cover]

Satan still has the best tunes.

Bewitcher made the right call by acknowledging that we have had more than enough Midnight clones in the metal world. I suppose signing to Century Media may have played some part with their music being a lot more 'commercial' on this album but this is not a flaw because everything actually sounds so much better here. Cursed Be Thy Kingdom is more melody-focused, more heavy metal-influenced, more sleaze-embracing, and more fun-loving than all their previous releases. Bewitcher take the melodies of Angel Witch, the blackened riffing of Venom, the punk attitude of Motörhead, and the flash of W.A.S.P., with the sole purpose of delivering some of the catchiest satanic heavy metal of the year.

The devil is in the details and one detail that I found particularly satisfying is how Bewitcher treat those magic seconds before the solos. For example, "Electric Phantoms" is one of the fastest and most vicious tracks on show, yet it changes tempo and attitude dramatically only to set the stage for the upcoming solo. Similarly, "Metal Burner" has this epic moment when the riffing comes to a halt and every instrument is preparing you for the guitar hero stuff. A different approach is found on "The Widow's Blade", whose solo starts by following the music that is playing, then strays away to do its own thing and even takes a break to the point that you think it's finished but it is not; it picks up again and becomes this larger than life lead guitar extravaganza.

Admittedly, the speed has been generally reduced in Cursed Be Thy Kingdom but I personally don't care one bit. In fact, my favourite song is "Valley Of The Ravens", which has the epic/Viking feel of I to it and I absolutely love the middle part where all the surrounding noise stops and you only hear the rhythm section and the lead guitar soloing away. The speed that is missing compared to the previous albums has been replaced with the hooks that these albums were lacking, in my opinion. The harmonies of "Death Returns..." and "Mystifier (White Night City)", for example, are made of the same fabric that classics used to be made. In the same way, "Satanic Magick Attack" is destined to become a cult favourite like all the other legendary tracks that have used the most recycled riff in the history of heavy metal.

Bewitcher have taken down a notch the extreme element of their sound and added a wee bit of glam to it instead, resulting in some super fun and memorable songs. In my mind, this album is a step up in songwriting and a chance to become known to larger audiences without compromising the quality of their music. Cursed Be Thy Kingdom is not going to change the shape of metal as we know it but, at 36 minutes' runtime, it begs to be played again and again.

"Carrion birds devour the sun
A lovely day for an execution"