ALBUM REVIEW: Witchery - “In His Infernal Majesty's Service”

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 25/11/2016

Label: Century Media Records

The riffage is superb throughout, as is the production- being as it is raw and noisy and thus perfect for this type of music. “The Burning of Salem” is as fast as it is dark, while “Gilded Fang” is a short storm of riffs and blasts. Frankly, it is hard to pick stand-outs here. The album is uniformly good. Unsung heroes of Swedish metal to a large extent, I urge you to check this album out and then work back through “Witchkrieg” and beyond.

“In His Infernal Majesty's Service” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Lavey-athon

2). Zoroast

3). Netherworld Empire

4). Nosferatu

5). The Burning of Salem

6). Gilded Fang

7). Empty Tombs

8). In Warm Blood

9). Escape from Dunwich Valley

10). Feed The Gun

The Review:

Witchery, now nearly twenty years into their existence, return here some six years after the nasty and excellent “Witchkrieg”. The album finds the band still ploughing the blackened thrash furrow- and their efforts still yield an impressive crop of riffs and songs.

The punningly titled “Lavey-athan” kicks things off in thrashing style, while “Zoroast”takes a more rock n roll type approach- with effective results. Elsewhere, the thrash is firmly back; “Netherworld Empire” is the type of rampaging beast that The Haunted used to make before they lost their way. “Nosferatu” continues the underworld themes with a rather classic alt-Slayerpacing and flavour and a catchy (yes) chorus. Storming stuff, so it is.

The riffage is superb throughout, as is the production- being as it is raw and noisy and thus perfect for this type of music. “The Burning of Salem” is as fast as it is dark, while “Gilded Fang” is a short storm of riffs and blasts. Frankly, it is hard to pick stand-outs here. The album is uniformly good. Nothing lets the side down, nothing stands out for the wrong reasons. “Empty Tombs” is a concise thrasher, “In Warm Blood” is a mid-paced rocker... there are no holes to pick here. There is even a Lovecraft inspired track in “Escape From Dunwich Valley” (which is awesome, incidentally).

By the time of the two closing tracks of identical length, “Feed The Gun” and “Oath Breaker”, you will have been well and truly thrashed. Line up changes have not dulled this band's potency one iota. The macabre humour remains, the song writing is as sharp as ever. Witchery are most certainly back and have made yet another great record. Unsung heroes of Swedish metal to a large extent, I urge you to check this album out and then work back through “Witchkrieg” and beyond.

“In His Infernal Majesty's Service” is available now

Band info: facebook