Credits:

Witchery

Description:

By combining the influences of the nascent thrash of the mid-’80s with the increased spittle and gristle of the modern black metal of the band’s homeland, Witchery made a name for themselves on the underground. With the release of Symphony for the Devil, the Swedish troupe perfected the admixture and made a classic album on par with some of the legendary artists of the genre. The riffs come at you fast, such as on the chugging neo-classical thrash of instrumental “Bone Mill” and the blow-out-your-doors intensity of “Wicked,” or decelerated to grindy mid-tempos, such as on such as on the Motorhead-inspired “Unholy War,” and with varied tempos within the parameters of a single song. (“Shallow Grave,” for example, melds doomy passages and lightning-quick solos immaculately.) The key is the guitars here, always bigger than life and leading every song like a general would troops to battle. Though the pr