Heavy Song of the Week is a Heavy Consequence feature that breaks down the best metal, punk, and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, No. 1 goes to Burning Witches' one-off single, “The Spell of the Skull.”
A week like this makes us feel grateful for heavy metal. The catharsis of brutal and tactile sounds; the escape of fantastical, otherworldly lyrics and theatrical vocals. This functionality is one of the defining characteristics of metal. And boy, was it a necessary distraction from the turmoil of the outside world?
Swiss group Burning Witches is one of those greatest power metal bands whose music is one of pure, transporting joy. Anthemic vocals, fist-pumping riffs, and a classic '80s-style solo that sends a shiver down your spine—the band's latest single, “The Spell of the Skull,” has it all. And for five minutes, the external noise and negativity decrease. Long live the timeless heavy metal of this strain, to the hilt!
“The Spell of the Skull” will be available in physical format on December 10 as part of a 12-inch vinyl maxi-single with the B-side “Mirror, Mirror.”
Honorable Mentions:
Delain – “The Harvest”
Many American bands were expected to be quiet this week, although the European heavy metal contingent pressed ahead with announcements of their albums and planned releases. Dutch symphonic metallers Delain were among the latter, offering the melodic track “The Reaping.” Diana Leah's pristine vocals shine against a backdrop of heavy riffs and chunky synth hits, recalling the alternative metal of Evanescent and industrialists HEALTH when they're at their most metal.
Dieth – Animal Yo
The latest single from veteran bassist David Ellefson’s band Dieth, “Animal Me,” falls somewhere between Chaos announcement-era Sepultura and Ellefson's previous thrash-metal efforts: a three-minute barrage of groove metal riffs, unfiltered through clean, unadorned production. Of Ellefon's post-Megadeth projects, Dieth are undoubtedly the most extreme and vitriolic: sound angry, which can be seen as a reaction to his feud with Dave Mustaine and a challenge to his former band to match the aggression on display here.
Malevolence – “Trenches”
Absolutely brutal stuff from British act Malevolence. Much like the hardcore beating of Kublai Khan TX and the breakdowns on a Knocked Loose set, the aptly named “Trenches” is sure to result in some bruises and broken bones when the moshes start shaking. Malevolence's metallic underpinnings go a long way to differentiating their sound from the aforementioned bands, although they are all cut from the same HXC cloth. Someone will take you on a tour together and make sure there is an EMT on site.
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