I won’t spend any further words to describe IRON WITCH, since I already spread quite a range of posts about these Sludge-lovin’ Liverpudlians. Just as much: They still rule. Ok, their newest output is another 7”, which is awesome, and will be released in February by Endtyme Records. The title is just as hilarious as of the previous release: After last year’s Post Vegas Blues you’ll now get Hangover Suicide. The cover artwork is fucking gnarly and goes hand in hand with the bleakness of the music.
Looking at the musical side of things I really have to write the five forbidden words: Their best output to date. The two songs on this EP show a developed band that knows what sound it’s aiming for, but isn’t afraid to do things differently to hundreds of other Sludge bands. On side A you’ll find Death was the colour, a song that starts with a short and mean repetitive riff that torments your auditory canals like a wisely used drilling machine in your favourite splatter movie. The mid- to lava-esque speed throughout the song is just the perfect pace for the cancerous vocal delivery. A very harsh track. If you think that it can’t get any better, flip the vinyl and kill yourself: The title track features a riff whose emergence can only be explained like this:
Greg Ginn invented time travel in around 1984 and due to unpredictable circumstances finds himself in IRON WITCH’s rehearsal room. Since he is a good man willing to help other bands out he’s like: “Well, you guys can use this super fucked up riff I wrote the other day. I wanted to use it in Black Flags upcoming album, but Henry is a total pain in the ass about it, so it’s kind of a left over I want to give to you. But make sure you keep the odd time signature.” Aaaaaand he’s gone, back to the 80ies.
And as if this amazing Black Flag’ish riff wouldn’t be enough to write like at least five outstanding songs with it, the track evolves into an almost hypnotic, trance-like riffage that wouldn’t be misplaced on a Yob album. All the while keeping the shit heavy as fuck, of course.
Unfortunately Hangover Suicide is the last release with the two original guitarists, but as I’ve heard there are already replacements – so chances are very good we’ll finally have an IRON WITCH full-length in 2013. Fingers crossed!
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