Witchcraft - "Legend" ...

It has been around 4 years since Witchcraft have released a full length album so in hindsight, this album is a bit lacking. I will try to explain why I think that is but after such a long wait, it seems surprisingly short on ideas. On the surface not much has changed except they are now signed to Nuclear Blast and Magnus Pelander and bassist Ola Henriksson are the only remaining members who played on their last album The Alchemist. This may have something to do with the slight but noticeable shift in a more commercial direction. The band have always been kind of catchy in their own way but this new album has an even cleaner approach and there is less of the heavy-prog influence that graced previous albums. This is a straight-forward blend of Black Sabbath and late 60's heavy pop a-la Iron Butterfly. With the guitarist and bassist now the only ones left from the original line-up, they also make their presence felt far more on 'Legend' than on any other album. The bass especially is now pushed front and center which is fine by me but along with that comes less dynamics in the sound and style with more of an emphasis on melody and shorter, concise songs.


If you are already a fan of Witchcraft then songs like the opening 'Deconstruction' and 'Flag of Fate' should make you feel right at home as that patented Witchcraft vibe is still here. The atmosphere however is not as dark as it has been on previous records and dare I say it but some of this seems a little bit "too happy" for its own good. At times it gets a little bit nauseating; the worse offender being a track titled 'Democracy' where the lyrical approach becomes very cheesy indeed. There are some great grooves, 'Ghosts House' being one of the album highlights with its infectious swagger. The song most of you would have already heard 'It's Not Because of You' is pretty typical of the album as a whole and if you have already made up your mind that you don't like it, you are unlikely to enjoy this album as this tune is about as good as the album gets. The only other major highlight is a track called 'Dystopia' that has a great atmospheric intro passage. The rest of the album is just ordinary by Witchcraft standards and seeing as there has been a 4 year wait for this thing to emerge, it is a bit disappointing.

Witchcraft are a talented band that can't do anything really bad but it still seems like to me at least that their best work is either already past or is still to come. 'Legend' is by no means a failure but it is not exactly mind-blowing either. The song-writing is in a comfortable place right now and perhaps that lack of risk-taking is what hurts this album the most. The album has a psychedelic edge but it is the inoffensive, happy kind of psychedelia most of the time and you can't help but wonder what the album might have sounded like with a bit more grit and dirt added to the mix. In many respects I hear this album being like 'The Alchemist Light' as it takes the more commercial elements from that album and makes it the bands sole direction for this release. Witchcraft fans should be satisfied enough but if you have been undecided on this band, this album is most likely to push you away even further. I think it is their weakest effort so far but still more than a listenable recording. The best way to describe it ....... for fans only..... 6/10

Words: Jack Sabbath

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