Review: Margarita Witch Cult ‘Strung Out In Hell’
I feel somewhat conflicted as I write this review, as the final curtain has been brought down on the pioneers of heavy metal at their Villa Park farewell. As a band, Black Sabbath never really excited me, yet the genre they have overseen is flourishing and in rude health, with this latest release from fellow Brummies Margarita Witch Cult being a testament to that.
You only need to listen to the first three songs on Strung Out In Hell to realise the stature in which the band hold their city’s most famous quartet, but the trio are now forging their own paths, with riffs aplenty and an album that will excite people and leave them wanting more. It begins with Crawl Home To Your Coffin and it’s simple, straightforward stuff with a deathly essence around the chorus. That slow sludge, doom menace they have is such a delight to my ears, and the fabulous Scream Bloody Murder is right up there as one of the best singles I’ve heard this year. It’s catchy as hell, and they don’t overload the song or make it too long either.
The composition on these songs is shrouded in darkness and with the vocals of Scott Abbott bringing to life their demonic lyrics, it’s supported by a sumptuous bass line from Jim Thing, that will get every part of your body moving. Conqueror Worm sees that trademark Sabbath heaviness shining through and showcases the brutal weight of their sound, with George Casual on drums contributing much to the overall sound.
Witches Candle just explodes all over you, and the riff is excellent from start to finish. It allows the song to breathe without dominating the quality, and there’s no doubt this will be a crowd favourite. Then they do an odd thing and stick a cover of Billy Idol’s White Wedding in the middle of the album. As you can imagine, it’s been given the full Margarita Witch Culttreatment, slowed down and heavier, but it will be Marmite amongst fans of the band, so I’ll leave you to form your own opinion.
with riffs aplenty…
There’s a long, drawn-out introduction for Mars Rover, then the bass punches you in the head and demands your attention. The song ramps up the tempo and it moves along at quite a pace, adding more quality to their rapidly expanding repertoire. There’s the shorter, bass heavy Dig Your Way Out next, which is a bit noisier and attention-grabbing, as if they are shoving you up against a wall and constantly jabbing you in the ribs.
If you like songs with a psychedelic edge, then The Fool will appeal to you. It has a compelling, repetitive riff that wraps around the powerful rhythm before some baritone sax and trumpet interject a bit more madness. Perhaps this is something they will explore further, but I don’t foresee them turning into The Mighty Mighty Bosstones just yet, so don’t worry.
Finally, the end is upon on, with the haunting melody of Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm greeting you like a long-lost friend at a campfire. A place to sit and contemplate life amongst your peers and just nod along slowly before you get woken up and hail the satanic overlords for another song worthy of the genre.
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
