Band Line Up 2016
Smouldering away in the dark corners of metal since Black Sabbath birthed it with that immortal tritone, doom has lurked in the shadows for decades, waiting for the earth’s lost souls to find their solace in it. Following in the footsteps of Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Candlemass, Trouble, Cathedral, Reverend Bizarre and countless other greats who have carried the torch for this genre are Hampshire doom disciples Witchsorrow – a triumvirate for whom this music is a calling, an obsession.
Formed by singer/guitarist Necroskull and bassist Emily Witch to embody their love for the form, from their first embers in 2006, Witchsorrow’s puritanical devotion to doom has become their life’s work. Armed with riffs forged in the same Iommian fires as their doom metal forebears, they have fanatically explored the genre for new sparks to stoke the fire – all the time biting their thumb at the world they hate. And with the riffs, misanthropy and pure doom worship of 2010’s self-titled debut and 2012’s Armageddon-invoking God Curse Us, Witchsorrow have earned a reputation as one of the UK’s finest underground doom outfits. Think the atmosphere of early Cathedral, Electric Wizard’s heaviness, the heavy metal heart of Candlemass or Solitude Aeternus and you’re in Witchsorrow’s parish.
“I just want to carry on what Sabbath started,” states frontman Necroskull. “I want to keep that old flame alive. I think that’s always been what all the great doom bands have strived to do. It’s a tremendous honour to add our own colour to the great tapestry of doom metal.”
Capturing the dark essence of classic doom, heavy, mournful riffs; oppressive atmosphere, bleak, sinister vocals and full-power doom metal freakouts there’s no mistaking it for anything else.
“There isn’t any light at all in what we do,” asserts Necroskull. “I’m not a very nice person, I don’t like people, I pretty much hate everything. It weakens me, and it comes out through in the music. We’re not the band out high-fiving everyone and pouring shots down your throat. We’re the ones singing about waiting for the end to come, that we’re all children of the grave.”
The band’s name quickly spread, and appearances with such doom luminaries (doominaries?) as Saint Vitus and Electric Wizard followed, as well as crushing sets at Bloodstock and Damnation festivals, a European tour with Moss, an appearance at Roadburn 2013’s Electric Acid Orgy, and a thunderous set at the UK’s inaugural Temples Festival. Not to mention their Jagermeister Stage headlining slot at Sonisphere 2011 when they duked it out with Metallica on the main stage.
Now, a new dawn breaks. Having signed to UK metal powerhouse Candlelight Records, Witchsorrow are preparing to unleash their third fire bomb of doom in September, with their new album No Light, Only Fire. Rejoice, children, for the Sabbath cometh once more.
