Psychedelic Witchcraft is a psychedelic, doom, and occult rock band from Italy that was formed in 2015. The group has garnered attention from the likes of Vice magazine as well as from fans of doom rock and stoner rock enthusiasts. According to an entry for the band on Riffipedia, the group draws inspiration from an eclectic selection that includes the likes of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Faces, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonic Wolves, and The Black Keys, to name a few. I really enjoy stoner rock and doom rock every time I listen to it, but I don’t often find new bands in these categories due to my typical gravitation towards music between the years 1965 and 1975. With that said, I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“A. Creature” starts with some really groovy guitar work that almost has a sort of sinister sound as though it’s stirring up a cauldron of some sort. Oh wow, the track falls into place into a super groovy way. I don’t know if I’ve ever really listened to occult rock before, but this certainly sounds like it. The dark tone of the lyrics and sort of sinister melodies are counterbalanced by some really flavorful fuzzy psychedelia-infused riffing that really catches my ear nicely. Holy smokes, the guitar at the end of the track has absolutely pulled me in even further with a flavor that is undeniably hypnotic. I really dig that I can kind of hear an accent in the super sweet and groovy vocal lines too. Great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
Oh wow, “Witches Arise” keeps things churning really nicely with some fuzzed-out riffs and a big beat that has a particularly harmonious stoner rock sound. Oh wow, there’s a bit of a coda that almost brings a certain sweet brightness to the dark overtones of the track that hook me in even further. Holy smokes, this guitar solo is awesome, and seems to let loose a lot of tension with some really melodious flavors while the fuzzed-out bass guitar and the strong beat keep things churning from the background. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Demon Lair” starts out in a way that feels as though a massive blues rock tune is about to break through with the space between the guitar licks and the beat. Oh wow, the tune gets grooving with some fuzzed-out bass guitar and a sturdy beat. Holy smokes, the guitar work absolutely shreds into the soundscape with some distorted wah-pedal’d psychedelic guitar work that feels reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix. Oh wow, the outro is hypnotic with the repetitious bass riffs and the super sweet vocal harmony. Great track.
Holy smokes, “Wicked Ways” starts out with what might described as a digital collage of music that contains some chatter, heavy flavors, and even what sounds to be a bit of a reversed instrumentation, and then gets grooving into a doom rock/stoner rock/heavy psych groove with a big beat with low kicks and snares, the super groovy hypnotic fuzzed-out bass, and with some super groovy guitar licks. Holy smokes, the distortion falls away for a moment and somehow makes the song even more sinister, especially as the distortion is added back again. Great tune.
Oh wow, “The Night” starts out with a big, hesitating beat, before gradually moving into a melodious, fuzzed-out, nearly shamanic, hypnotic movement that has me in a whirl listening to it. Holy smokes, the singer’s voice gets guttural for a moment and has pulled me further into the album. Holy smokes, the guitar work has a groovy, bright and melodious quality, especially with the distorted chorus effect, which has pulled me into the music even further. I’m already looking into whether I can get this album on vinyl. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Different” starts out with some awesome guitar work that feels bluesy, psychedelic, and like a heavy stoner rock all at once. Wow, this track is super groovy. The feel of the entire album doesn’t feel like it’s drifted from the overall occult rock feeling at all throughout the entire listening experience so far. Holy smokes, the fuzzy guitar licks are absolutely awesome. Wow, great track.
Holy smokes, “The Only One That Knows” starts out with a sort of clean bluesy swing with the guitar and the drums that has caused me to yet again be pulled further into the music. Oh wow, the chorus picks up some super sweet fuzz and heaviness before resolving back to the clean bluesy swing for the verse again. I really dig the vocal mixing in this track, as the harmonizing of the layers of the singer’s vocals adds a super groovy sweetness to the track. Holy smokes, great tune.
“War” gets grooving immediately with some heaviness and a bluesy feeling in a classic style that reminds me of both Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Oh wow, there’s a super flavorful drum fill in this track that really caught my ear, pulling me yet again further into this listening experience. Oh wow, the pacing of the guitar solo is excellent, and contains some awesome licks. Oh wow, the ending of the track seems to get into a heavy, double-time riff that I’m really digging. Wow, great track.
Holy smokes, “Magic Hour Blues” slows things down with a massive sounding, fuzzy, slow classic blues rock track with an occult presentation. Holy smokes, the vocals seem to reach into the earth with the guttural sounds at times, and seem to be guiding the album still in a way that’s both psychedelic and conclusory to the overall album. Wow, the track gets a sort of heavy airy feeling with the crashing of the cymbals that end the track in a really groovy way. Great track and a great way to finish the listening experience.
Holy smokes, this album is great. The vocals have a sound that feels bewitching, the guitars bring some awesome licks to the tracks, the bass guitar has a sort of hypnotic feel with the consistency and tone that seem to churn each song about, and the drums sound massive feel with tons of force behind the big beat. If you’re into psychedelic rock and stoner rock and/or doom rock, I would recommend checking out this album. I’m very much looking forward to checking out more of Psychedelic Witchcraft’s discography in the very near future. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A