Album Review: Witch Trail – The Sun Has Left the Hill (Consouling Sounds)

Witch Trail are a three piece band located in Ghent, Belgium. Their latest album, The Sun has Left the Hill (Babylon Doom Cult Records, Consouling Sounds), continues the eclectic approach found in their earlier releases (Nithera, Thole).

The Sun has Left the Hill, in contrast to their earlier work, focuses on a central concept. Curious listeners will figure out what this concept is. As a hint in the meantime: maybe we shouldn’t rage against the dying of the light every other evening, but embrace the absence of light as something that is not inherently bad.

The Sun has Left the Hill is set to release on November 15th 2019 on vinyl and CD through Babylon Doom Cult Records and Consouling Sounds.

There’s a lot to take in with Witch Trail’s The Sun Has Left the Hill as the blackened noise they provide has elements of post and at times, the lighter side of hard rock. It makes for a disconcerting yet massively intriguing listen, one that just gets better and better as it goes on and as it gets repeated plays.

The opening track, Sinking is the first time Witch Trail’s unique efforts will raise an eyebrow. However, the force in which Watcher comes out is where the album really bursts into life.

Heavy, with the kind of riff/percussion work you might expect to find on an old-school black metal release. It builds and builds towards a shift that is brief but gives some air before the latter part of the track erupts.

Ready for something completely different though? Stupor’s rockabilly riffing is a real treat. Even though it evolves into a totally different beast, the memory of that bassy start sticks. As does the peppy ringing post madness of Lucid and the intense slow tempo of Silent Running. Two very different but equally as madness-inducing as each other.

Sticking with the more laid back rhythm, Afloat’s dirty rock rhythm leads into the return of the real feral Witch Trail style of frantic heaviness. Before slowing it right down again for a very post-finish. Spectacular.

Ending on Residue, Witch Trail wrap things as only they could. A near bouncy set of riffs warped by the blackened vocals and sharp jabs of intense metal.

You’ve not heard much like this in 2019.

Witch Trail – The Sun Has Left the Hill Full Track Listing:

1. Sinking
2. Watcher
3. Stupor
4. Lucid
5. Silent Running
6. Afloat
7. Residue

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Consouling Sounds