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GRAVEWITCH
Gravewitch

Self-released (2025)
Rating: 7/10

This trio of Bend, Oregon-based crazies have been hanging round for over a decade so I’m surprised that they’ve not been more active. Maybe it’s all the blood drinking and spellbinding which has distracted them? Either way, this self-titled full-length offering is not the band’s debut. That particular slab was coughed up five years ago under the title The Summoning.

With this new release I wondered if any changes were afoot or would Gravewitch stick to their blackened thrash vomit. But this is still very much the Gravewitch I’ve become familiar with; zipping melodies, snapping vocals and tight percussion all delivered in a similar vein to the likes of Skeletonwitch.

Although there is a shade of rawness to the sound of Gravewitch, especially in guitarist Chris Fleming’s sniping vocals, the album still boasts a modern sheen. The band does exhibit influences of Aura Noir and a lot of other blackened thrash acts, but they lack the real primitive grit, although that’s something they seem to be aware of.

I guess I would call this clean blackened thrash, epitomised by the scowling opener ‘Damnable Evil’, even though it never quite reaches ravenous mode. Instead, the trio conjures up a slick yet slightly restricted sound that’s briskly polished without being barbaric or blinding.

The songs are well crafted, concise and catchy, where devilish riffs slip melodiously into spikier retorts, yet no flesh is ever punctured. That’s not to say that this album is harmless blackness, as there’s plenty of bite and spite with the savage and sneering ‘Mistress Of Hate’ and my favourite song ‘White City Devil’, which is downright sinister. ‘Woodland Trance’ is another strong track but one which veers more towards a straight up black metal vibe with its Nordic frostiness. Another favourite is ‘Ritual Reanimation’ with its suspenseful build up and more guttural vocal approach.

There’s a lot to savour here as Gravewitch inserts flecks of death and thrash into their already potent formula. I’ve given this album quite a few spins now and I recommend you do too.

Neil Arnold

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