This killer CD from Fistolo Records collects nearly an hour's worth of early material from Witch Hunt—including their awesome "...As Priorities Decay" LP from 2004, which I'm psyched to finally have on CD (I believe the original CD pressing on Profane Existence is out of print) since I absolutely never have time to screw with listening to vinyl. Also included is the four-track "...As Priorities Decay" demo (2003), the self-titled 7" (2002), tracks from the split 7" with Deathbag (2002), as well as a cover of Siege's "Conform" recorded live on WNYU's Crucial Chaos in 2003. For the uninitiated, Witch Hunt is much more diverse and innovative than your average hardcore/punk band, and opener "Sick Game" damn sure immediately sets the tone that—while such influences are present—this ain't gonna be a bunch of straightforward blasts of hardcore/punk power chords. The compositions utilize plenty of tempo changes and excellent melodic attributes alongside creatively dissonant chord phrasings and winding arrangements that blend both an energetic momentum and a darker, more sinister undercurrent—without straying but so far from their roots or becoming particularly "metallic". And of course there are tons of male/female vocal trade-offs that cover a wide range of shouting, yelling, screaming, and even a little bit of singing. There's somewhat of a subtly noisy vibe to some of the guitar work; while the nice, pounding basslines roam around between the guitars and drums to play a very focal role in the song structures, so... at its best the recording definitely achieves a strong balance between the elements here. The booklet's jammed with all of the lyrics and brief song explanations, which are obviously geared towards the socio-political realm—but always given a sincere, honest, personal touch... so there's a lot of cool content happening throughout:
Is it in my head, a figment of my imagination, or a harsh reality that can never be escaped? Ingrained in our minds and attempted to be ignored, a fight between realism and idealism, a fight which we cannot afford...
There's more to it than that, of course, but listen for yourself and be the judge. I'm certainly a Witch Hunt fan, but this release also reminds me that I suck about keeping up with so many bands, and I still need to grab the latest With Hunt full-length!
Witch Hunt "Sick Game"
Witch Hunt "By a Thread"
Witch Hunt "Shroud of Silence"
The last chunk of the disc was previously available on the "EP's & Crucial Chaos Radio Session" CD from Profane Existence, but to me this one's worth the price for the "...As Priorities Decay" material alone, so definitely make the grab if you're new to the Witch Hunt fold and like what you hear:
Comments
they’re playing RAMBO’s last show in philly this sunday…. With Caustic Chirst, Paint it Black, Pisschrist, drop dead, and kill the man who questions. I’m so pumped for this. Cool band
5.24.2007 | By wes
this sounds great! I heard the name so many times but never got around to get an album, shame on me.
5.24.2007 | By Luca
@wes: damn that sounds like a good show. I’m still yet to see Pisschrist and I live in the same country as them!
5.25.2007 | By Nick M
Diggin this…almost hear a little Saetia or Shotmaker in there…
5.30.2007 | By Andy