Angel Witch ‘Angel of Light’
Album Review By Adam McCann
Metal Blade Records/Heavy Metal
It is hard to accept that seven years have elapsed since Angel Witch last released the fantastic ‘As Above, So Below’ album. For many NWOBHM fans, this album was to herald the return of Angel Witch to the forefront of metal; yet, after another absence, Angel Witch once again rumble into life with their latest release ‘Angel of Light’.
With ‘Angel…’ the legendary Kevin Heybourne returns to using the Marshall JPM amp which gave the sound of the bands debut album the staying power of the most stubborn barnacle and therefore this album ploughs forward with all the gusto of ‘Angel Witch’ and ‘As Above, So Below’ combined. ‘Angel…’ once again showcases the excellent twin guitar harmonies fluttering between the lyrical deliveries of Heybourne’s untarnished distinctive voice, as tracks such as the explosive ‘Don’t Turn Your Back’, ‘Death of Andromeda’, ‘I Am Infamy’ and ‘We Are Damned’ being amongst some of the best things Angel Witch have delivered since the pinnacle of the NWOBHM era. Yet, for long-time fans of the band, there is finally an official recording of ‘The Night is Calling’, a track which only previously existed on live bootlegs.
Angel Witch manage to turn clock right back to 1980 as ‘Angel…’ oozes the nostalgia of a golden age of heavy metal. Forget the latest big-name releases, this is where heavy metal is at, it shows a band doing what they do best with an integrity, class and passion that cannot be dictated to.
Rating : 90/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
