Witchskull : A Driftwood Cross Review
Witchskull is back with a new hard-driving album called A Driftwood Cross. The trio is Marcus De Pasquale, vocals and guitar; Tony McMahon, bass; and Joel Green, drums. The album is eight tracks with a definite black Sabbathian influence and is filled with lots of riffs. A Driftwood Cross places Witchskull firmly at the forefront of the amorphous scene they emerged from and built their fan base. Witchskull makes the world brighter with the sound of full vocals, driving bass and drums, and distorted guitars. “We are really happy with where we are at right now,” Green concludes. “McMahon and De Pasquale are both great at coming up with unusual titles and concepts, so I leave that part of it up to them,” Green notes. “We feel there is recurring themes and ideas in all of our three records. It’s important to us to have that as a band while still trying different things. We came up with a lot of material for the album and ended up recording 12 songs. We try not to make long albums, so once everything was tracked, we picked the eight that made the album cohesive.”
A heavy metal shuffle called “Black Cathedrals” starts the album with the power trio making it clear that this album is going to rock. The driving bass and drums support De Pasquale’s vocals and guitar riffs with drive and dark hues. The guitar solo has different sections that add to the track’s appeal. It is obvious the band spent time rehearsing and writing in pre-production recording. There is a focus on melody and robust arrangements without losing focus or direction. Witchskull is also bringing in new sounds of underlying keys and added vocals to get a fuller sound.
“The Red Altar” has a powerful riff that sets the mood. De Pasquale’s vocals are ethereal as Green keeps the feel. De Pasquale’s screams are effective, and the song form has an impressive flow. The guitar solo is melodic and interacts with the riff to keep the theme intact. Green’s drumming is driving the ending section with energy and force. De Pasquale’s high notes fit the mood. This sound is Witchskull at its best.
Witchskull’s new album, A Driftwood Cross, proves the band has evolved into their unique sound and writes songs with purpose and a consistent direction. Recorded with Jason Fuller (Blood Duster), A Driftwood Cross captures the band’s energy and rough edges spontaneously. The sonics, substance of the song forms, and the glorious riffs make A Driftwood Cross an enjoyable affair. This album is Witchskull’s best to date.
Witchskull: Website
Witchskull
A Driftwood Cross
April 24, 2020
Rise Above Limited