Class of 2012: Witchcraft - Legend

It's quite possible that Witchcraft had fallen off your radar.  Their last album (Alchemist), after all, came out in 2007.  Upon hearing Legend, however, Witchcraft should quickly fall back into your listening rotation.

Witchcraft's doomy classic rock sounds straight out of the seventies.  The Black Sabbath and Pentagram influences are obvious, but there are also a few Tool-like moments when the songs get loud.  To hear what I mean, for instance, listen to "Democracy" and "Dead End."

Throughout Legend's nine songs, Magnus Pelander's vocals sound great.  Strangely enough, there's a moment on "Dead End" where Pelander's voice reminds me of early Bono.  See if you can find it.

Two songs, "An Alternative to Freedom" and "Dystopia," have a certain Led Zeppelin feel to them.  The former brings "When The Levee Breaks" to mind, while the latter's intro has a bit of "Stairway to Heaven" in it.

From start to finish, the guitar playing meets or exceeds expectations.  The riffs crunch on "It's Not Because of You," and the solos on songs like "Democracy" and "Dystopia" do their job by leaving you wanting more.

If you've gotten into bands like Graveyard or Kadavar recently, then Legend is right up your alley.  Or if you swear by Sabbath and Pentagram, then this is for you, too.

Grade: A-  (92.0)