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VOID WITCH
Void Witch EP

Everlasting Spew (2022)
Rating: 7/10

This self-titled debut three-track EP from Austin, Texas-based death / doom merchants Void Witch runs for just over 20-minutes and begins with the arduous sludge of ‘My Coffin Overfloweth’, a six-minute lumber which actually brings an unexpected melody in its axe work while the drums just seem happy to be there within the mix.

Vocally, the band could be murkier. The chesty growls are actually reasonably decipherable which I see as a negative, although I do enjoy the tone. However, the band doesn’t just rest on a tiresome drone and although it’s very much doom metal with gravelled vocals there are lots of traditional elements to the guitar chords. I also enjoyed the shift up in gear to a death metal gallop, again entwined with solid solos.

‘Asphyxiation Ritual’ is a far more foreboding track, the amalgamation of bass, guitar and drum is extremely potent and this time the vocals take on a deeper trajectory as the song rumbles along at a steady pace, oozing from its pores but never dragging. Fans of Druid Lord will like the approach of Void Witch, more so when they go hammer and tongue where the bass really clanks. ‘Asphyxiation Ritual’ is my favourite track of the three, but there’s always a variety on offer here within the death / doom framework.

The eight-minute ‘Boudoir Bloodfeast’ drags its heavy arse in truly monolithic fashion, and I welcome the dense chugging and the melancholic leads. The band really does have an eye for unpredictable melody, and again there’s that burst of pace bolstered by the lead. It’s strange how Void Witch almost encompasses a bluesy appreciation in their malevolent oozing while some of the subtle passages let one come up for air. Hopefully a full-length is on the horizon.

Neil Arnold

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