SEVEN WITCHES

"Passage To The Other Side"
(Noise/Sanctuary Records)

Seven Witches cast their fourth spell on the world with this album! They have been making a name for themselves in the world of metal for several years now, especially among fans of traditional style/power metal, as that is the Witches' chosen style. The band, led by guitarist Jack Frost, has gone through a number of lineup changes during their career, and now features the talents of two renowned metal musicians, vocalist James Rivera (Helstar/Destiny's End) and bassist Joey Vera (Armored Saint/Fates Warning), which makes them a supergroup of sorts. The lineup is completed by drummer Brian Craig. Seven Witches stick with their style on this album, playing old school style heavy metal with a slight "modern" twist to their music. In fact, I would say that this is arguably the band's best effort to date! The album is a metal maelstrom from beginning to end! Opening track "Dance With The Dead" begins with a Sabbath flavor, but then slams into high gear, becoming a punch packing metal tune, and the same goes for all the songs on the album. All the tracks are fast, crunching, fist held high, headbanging numbers, played in the classic , 80's vein, including "Metal Messiah", "Apocalyptic Dreams", "Fever In The City", "The Lost Horizon", and "Nature's Wrath". There's also a cover of an old Def Leppard classic, "Wasted" (let's not forget that Leppard used to be a metal band! But that's another story) and the album closes with the title track, an epic metal number on which Rivera and Frost do a vocal duet. James Rivera sings aggressively, but melodically, sometimes taking a cue from Rob Halford, hitting some high notes that could shatter windows! Jack Frost's guitar playing could melt snow, and Vera and Craig make up a jackhammering rhythm section, Brian doing some lightning quick double bass drumming on some tracks. Influences can be heard from Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Savatage, early Metallica, Testament, Manowar, and other metal masters. The Witches are a very talented band who play pure, classic style, fist in the air heavy metal, bringing it into the next millennium! This is the way metal's supposed to be done! The band also seems to have passed a milestone in their career with this album, as many bands (underground ones in particular) don't make it to four albums, and they have built upon their already established style, making it just a bit more sophisticated. Fans of Seven Witches will love this album without a doubt, and for those who may just be getting into the band, "Passage..." is a great introduction to the band! Anyone who liked their style of metal should have no trouble getting into the band. Once Seven Witches cast their spell on you, you'll be a fan forever! By the power of Seven! http://www.sevenwitches.com

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