After a brooding slow-burn intro, the quartet delve headlong into the title track, which is of a monumental quality; Laura displaying her outright unreal vocal chops at an optimum level, while the instrumentals are as strong and sturdy as they come. The intense power riding behind this, especially in the mental final minute, make it perhaps the most epic opener to any album I’ve experienced in a real long time, and we’re only just getting started.
They now settle into a firm groove with the following offering, Of Rock And Stone, proceeding at a steadier pace initially – cranking up the juice at the halfway point – and in the process developing this grand scale of pretty lofty proportions that benefits from the refined production quality, but can’t go without mentioning Jamie’s stellar work on the guitar throughout.
Call Of The Hunter resonates with this rough, coarse tone throughout, and this mainly comes from Rory’s potent bass chords and Lyle’s hardened drum shifts, and Return To Dust is nicely crafted, with a slick flow to it that begins low-key and builds piece by piece as it goes.
Order From Chaos just leaps out the speakers with such an explosive force and infectious energy that gets an extra hefty dose of buzz rocking within the listeners, and once again the singing is unbelievably superb. Likewise, Solstice I – She Burns is a glorious epic that ventures in a variety of directions, from quiet and fretting, to loud and freaking large, and eventually off the bloody charts in a stormer of a climax, with awesome riff solos galore.
But you haven’t seen anything yet, for next up is Witches Mark, and to put it candidly, this is insanity of a holy sh*t calibre; the tempo thrusted up to inhuman heights that just rips the breath right out of you, shattering your senses and urging you to head-bang along like a madman, all while the band sustain their incredible performances and show off some cool lyrics.
Mercifully, they allow a quick reprieve through the interluding Solstice II before pressing onto the home stretch with Beyond The Black Gate, a great finale that adds layer upon layer, coming up front with a raw vigor as they provide more captivating writing and lead up to a sweeping finish.
Do I honestly need to do a final summary? Is there anything else I could possibly say that I haven’t already? Body Of Light is straight up phenomenal, with basically no flaws to speak of, every element from top to bottom clicking effectively and fusing as the most well-oiled of machines; essentially, we’re talking a five star masterpiece here.
The entire hour of this album is like the most berserk, wild, awe-inspiring of rollercoaster rides imaginable that has you hooked all the way without the slightest desire of wanting to come off; if anything, being upset once it’s over and begging to do it again.
It takes something truly special to come along and make a huge impact to this degree, and King Witch are truly special. The Edinburgh doom outfit might have just cemented themselves as the best current Scottish metal act, bar none, having delivered a serious candidate for the 2020 record of the year; not just within their genre, nor exclusively within the borders of Scotland, but on the whole…
FACEBOOK: kingwitch
TWITTER: @KingWitchBand
The Music Files 