Thursday 23 October 2014

Witchclan - "Misanthropist"

Witchclan originally started off as a 3 piece band in the early 90's, only to be put to rest in '95 after releasing 2 demos. One of the founding members Matt Bass resurrected Witchclan as a solo project in '09, and released a further 2 demos as Misanthropist was being created. Misanthropist was released on the 31st of October 2011, via Dark Shade Records. 

You can easily hear that Witchclan originated from the early 90's as the album as a whole has a very "2nd wave" feel about it. However, unlike other bands that originated in the same era and reformed within the past few years (or never even went on a hiatus) Misanthropist doesn't re-tread the same ground over again. Each song is completely different, yet they all have a distinct sound that Witchclan have coined. A few tracks that stand out for myself is "Through Nordic Lands", "Conqueror" and especially "Beyond The Grave" and the cover of Darkthrone's "In The Shadow Of The Horns". Unlike my other reviews I feel I am unable to pick a part this album track by track due to its uniqueness. Admittedly, it needs to be listened to a few times to see where you actually stand with the album as a whole (but what album doesn't need a thorough listen to before a final judgement?). However, after listening to Misanthropist at least 30 times since it has recently came into my possession I can safely say that it's a beacon of light in the dark regarding the UKBM scene. 

Misanthropist leeches onto your soul so to speak, each song can be interpreted differently depending on the listeners mood and surroundings. Every listen you discover parts that makes you more engaged with the tracks the more you listen to them. As a whole Misanthropist is a never ending piece, each listen is a new journey into the mind of Witchclan, and I can safely say to anyone who feels as if the Black Metal scene has died a long, long time ago that they should listen to this album. You will be proved wrong. 

You can purchase Misanthropist here.



Also, you can find out more about Witchclan via Facebook and www.witchclan.co.uk.