REVIEW: Master Charger's snarling, sludgy Social Witch Hunt

Someone somewhere has pissed off Master Charger and out of it has come a beast of a stoner/sludge anthem.

The first new noise from the Nottinghamshire threepiece since 2020's Origin of the Lugubrious, Social Witch Hunt takes a dirty, Iommi-style riff drenched in mountains of fuzz for a ride over almost four and a half minutes. Introducing itself with wailing feedback and a well-executed drum fill, there is a good, upbeat energy to the track and it will be very interesting to see what kind of new chapter for the band this signals.

Master Charger - Social Witch Hunt (live at Uprising 2023)

The raw production style, led by Andy Dawson, really gives the track a live feel that this kind of music really needs to be most effective. Along with this, the guitar tone, whether in its fuzzed-out glory or with a bit of wah over the lead parts, packs a serious punch ahead of the pounding rhythm section. Dave and Jon dictate the energy of the track with a lot of power, but equally with a good amount of variety. They're comfortable with the higher energy, faster rhythms, as well as the slick, groovy half-time beats, and even drop a few moments where only the kick bass drum rings out, designed for fists-in-the-air crowd participation in a rowdy venue.

A track like Social Witch Hunt could only be done justice with a snarling vocal performance, which John delivers confidently and self-assuredly. In the band's own words, it deals with “how disgusting humanity can be towards one another in essence. It was initially spawned from the tiresome damaging comments made towards individuals and various subject matters that will remain anonymous that [they were] sick of reading about through social media”. Social Witch Hunt highlights the subject of social media, and how its users constantly oppose each other's beliefs and views, along with the damage that it can have on people's lives. I particularly like the line about 'playing god', spat out with conviction in John's trademark grit.

The music video is worth a watch, too - Hot Frog Animations have nailed a very classic-looking style to the animation, and inject a bit of light-hearted humour into the music. I never expected to be watching likenesses of John, Dave and Jon doing wizardy things - if you look closely, you'll see that it's not actually them casting spells and riding broomsticks.

Hats off.

Follow Master Charger: Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

MN

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