Description

Black vinyl with lyric insert

The folk-rock eccentricity of Jethro Tull, the mystical harmony of Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy, and the exuberance of prime NWOBHM, immersed in sacred medieval influences via David Munrow’s Early Music Consort of London; on their debut long-player Prelude, Lancastrian hard rockers Wytch Hazel have happened upon an extremely singular and compelling alchemy. Wytch Hazel was born in early 2011. The quartet released a two-track demo the same year, followed by a couple of seven-inch splits, an appearance at the Swedish festival Muskelrock, and the four-track EP The Truth in 2012. This noble artefact garnered quite a buzz on the UK HM underground, securing the band a support slot at Manilla Road’s first ever UK live show. Although visual presentation is important to Wytch Hazel – “I would define our look as ‘battle ready’!” says Colin of the band’s rustic swashbuckler stage clothes; “Our performance is like a musical fight!” – the priorities are clear. “The songwriting is our thing, that’s what we major in,” Colin asserts. “In my life that’s what I’m best at, that’s what I’m most passionate about. This album is a massive breakthrough.” Prelude is defined by its stately duelling guitars and blissful expressive solos in rousing tunes like infectious opener Freedom Battle, anthemic gallop More Than Conquerors and their fist-throwing eponymous singalong. There’s tasteful organ and resonant acoustic guitar, but no gaudy medieval ornamentation distracting from the album’s purity and focus. “For me, influence has to be within the composition, within the very make-up of the songwriting,” Colin asserts. “We do a lot of the Picardy third – a song in a minor key that ends in the major key – that’s a real medieval French technique. I don’t know of many other bands with that approach.” That’s not the only way Wytch Hazel stand out from the modern herd. Although we’ve been saturated with the cartoon diabolism of the ‘occult rock’ revival, no other band has dared to offer the other side of the story. “I play in a heavy metal band and I write songs about God – it’s actually quite a rebellious thing!” chuckles Colin. “Some people found our EP offensive. You can mention God, but when you start singing ‘Praise be to God’ it gets a little heavier.” Whatever your spiritual position, for the creation of Prelude, all praise be to Wytch Hazel.

Track listing:
1. Freedom Battle
2. Fight
3. Mighty King
4. More Than Conquerors
5. Psalm
6. Prelude
7. He Shall Reign
8. Dark Ages
9. Wytch Hazel
10. We Will Be Strong