My experience with metal from Singapore has historically been focused on the extreme side, with material from the likes of Impiety, Abhorer, and Draconis Infernum serving as my introduction to the country’s bands. But like most parts of the world, dig deep enough and you’ll find material that spans the entirety of the metal spectrum, with Witchseeker representing the traditional heavy and speed metal side of things. Originally formed in 2012 by Sheikh Spitfire, Witchseeker has released an album, split, and EP before this year’s Scene of the Wild. Where 2017’s When the Clock Strikes saw the band operating as a duo, they’ve now expanded with two additional members and with this injection of new blood comes even more variety than before.
There are a few noticeable changes when comparing Scene of the Wild to When the Clock Strikes, particularly when it comes to the tightness of the performances. Where some of the songs on the latter had a bit of a rougher around the edges feeling (which might not be that surprising when you have one member handling the majority of the instrumentals), here everything comes through as a lot more polished. Witchseeker has clearly stepped up their game and it shows, as this increased confidence also shows itself through songwriting that explores a wider range of influences. You’ve still got fast paced speed and heavy metal where the tempo flies by at a mile a minute on songs like “Lust for Dust” and “Hellions for the Night”, but the band also slows things down quite often to explore equal amounts of hard and glam rock. Quite a few bands recently have been trying to channel this NWOBHM meets Sunset Strip type of sound, and Witchseeker is able to do both of them justice. There still are a few issues that pop up while making your way through Scene of the Wild though, as the way the instruments are mixed doesn’t always lend itself to the softer moments. The bass is extremely prominent alongside the guitars which works well on the faster and more aggressive songs, but during the ones that have a bit more of a rock slant the bass pops out a bit too much and is a bit distracting. Additionally, there are a few songs that don’t quite stick the landing for me, but as a whole the material still proves to be appealing thanks to its high energy approach.
Sheikh Spitfire handles the vocals for Witchseeker, and he has a decent amount of range that adds to the variety the material is able to provide. While you won’t be finding any falsettos here, Spitfire’s main pitch balances the type of charismatic hard rock/glam rock tone with the more aggressive and rougher edges of heavy metal and thrash. Songs like “Lust for Dust” adds in some backing gang vocals at times that brings bands like Enforcer to mind, and there are some other harmonized lines that bring a bit more melody into the mix. This is an area where the band really stands out for me, as the singing changes depending on whether the instrumentation has mellowed out or gone for speed and aggression, which prevents Witchseeker from feeling one-dimensional like a lot of the others out there.
The move back to a full band in the years that have passed since When the Clock Strikescame out has made a difference, and this is easily the best Witchseeker has sounded yet. With just the right balance between speed metal and hard/glam rock, it’s similar to the direction that Enforcer took on their last release so that should give you an idea of whether that’s appealing or not. While there’s still room for some further tweaks in songwriting and mixing, this is still a worthy listen for those that can’t get enough of traditional metal styles. Scene of the Wild is available from Dying Victims Productions.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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