REVIEW: Covered in slime - Kill The Witch's Cursed Hymns EP


Witch-identifying people beware, as the riff-worshipping, heavy rocking Kill The Witch have emerged from the murky depths of Stafford with their first EP. They'd released music under a previous name, but on this effort the sound is more cohesive and unified than ever before, firmly settled on a groovy, energetic metal tone borrowing from Orange Goblin, QOTSA and other bands that they've gigged with over the past few years.

Slime, a sleazy stoner sludge anthem to be blasted in dive bars at four in the morning while drunk idiots grind on each other, welcomes you into the release. "She's all covered in slime, and she still looks fine, take you back to mine?" No guesses what this song might be about. Its break into a frantic Song for the Dead-style finale is inspired and adds a layer of interest to the track. I end up coming back to this song a lot for this reason, as well as the tongue-in-cheek vocals which the band pull off really well, each smutty line spat out with glee.

The chugging Hawking's Reality has a driving beat and a really cool Mastodon-inspired break before a ripping guitar solo from Karl. It was the band's first single as Kill The Witch and is a fitting introduction to them. Embers Burn is an energetic heavy rocker with a great chorus. I like what the bass does during the more dialled-down middle section and the drums really drive the high-octane feel of the track.

Compared to Widowmaker there is a real focus on groove and fun songwriting. Though Widowmaker was pretty ambitious in its scope, you get a very solid and unified sound over these three tracks. The Stafford threepiece have really embraced the stoner sound this time around and gone for a big, classic-sounding release with hooks to match it.

It's interesting that they close the EP with a live version of Of Smoke And Fire, an ultra-heavy and somewhat proggy standout from Widowmaker with shades of very early Mastodon. There are tracks from the album that match the Cursed Hymns vibe a lot more, so you might be tempted to wonder exactly what's around the corner. Cursed Hymns II? Maybe. A Mariah Carey tribute album at 210bpm? Possibly. Or a completely new, sludgy beast entirely?

Kill the Witch: Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

MN

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