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ATOMIC WITCH
Death Etiquette

Redefining Darkness (2025)
Rating: 7.5/10

Cleveland, Ohio-based thrashers Atomic Witch return for another adventure into the world of aggression. Three years after debut full-length Crypt Of Sleepless Malice, the combo strikes hard with 27 minutes of metal that tears your face off. The vocals alone will melt your face, a mix of seething rasps and higher screeches which scratch violently at the retinas.

Atomic Witch remains surprisingly refreshing considering there’s nothing going on here that’s original, but for me it’s always been about having the correct ingredients. There’s some scintillating speed throughout this album, with scathing and scything thrash from the off with ‘Morgue Rat’ which bleeds frantically into ‘Of Flesh And Chrome’.

There are some precisely executed melodies within the storm of raging vocals and the blitzkrieg of axe work. It’s easy to miss some of the fine angles of this album simply because it is such a volatile piece. Lock in to the likes of ‘Skelecidal’ and you’ll be faced with endless tornadoes, but once you’ve become accustomed to the hostility of construction you will also discover a few refreshing intricacies and slower chugs to chew on.

The twists around the chorus of ‘Sabbath Breaker’ and the blackened intro of ‘Dream Rot’ exhibit the varied tactics which Atomic Witch employ to throw you off the scent. The same goes for the subtlety jarring escapades of closer ‘Vicious Mistress’ and sections of ‘Worms And Dirt’ where the song is exceptional.

Death Etiquette is a record that’s difficult to fault simply because it’s a smash and grab affair, leaving your soul ransacked and your ear canals in tatters.

Neil Arnold

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