Review: Seven Witches

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Seven Witches
“Xiled to Infinity and One”
(Noise)

“Mwuah-ha-ha-ha-ha, we’re taking back the metal…” begins the album with a sinister laugh and either a threat or a promise.  To where they’re taking it back is anyone’s guess, but as far as I can tell they’re taking it back somewhere in the eighties where they intend to mercilessly beat it until it no longer moves and can barely breathe.  Not only is the music good old fashioned, and funny in it’s grandiose serious metal attitude, but even the press release for the band is something right out of Spinal Tap with the publicity one-sheet stating, “…the new Witches’ material is a non-stop train wreck,” mistaking the cliché as a positive statement.  Even the album title seems to be an unintentional reference to Spinal Tap.  Spinal Tap has their amps that go up to eleven and Seven Witches have infinity and one more. For fans of metal a few luminaries make appearances on “Xiled to Infinity and One,” including Joe Comeau of Annihilator who sings on a cover of Grim Reaper’s “See You In Hell,” and former and sometimes Savatage front man, Jon Oliva.  Seven Witches are taking back the metal and they’re not going to return it so don’t even ask, bub.