The scene from New Zealand might not be as big as the Australian one, but there are quite some promising acts dwelling out there lately. Exordium Mors, Ulcerate, Sabbatic Goat, Heresiarch, Diocletian or Vassafor are just some names (warning: do not interpret this as ‘just’ an objective statement; right here I am talking about majesty and supremacy!), and another name that must be add to this list is Witchrist; a band, by the way, that shares members with Diocletian. Witchrist brought out two LP’s before, Beheaded Ouroboros and The Grand Tormentor, and now they come up with a new piece d’art, including vocals by newly-recruited vocalist KzR, known from Bölzer (!). And before going deeper into the sonic side of this story: is anyone surprised to see this stuff being released via Iron Bonehead? Indeed, neither am I. Once again this German label did delve deeply into high-qualitative aural standards. Respect!
The three (way too short) tracks are like a sonic revival of the Old School in all its majesty (once again). It’s a barbaric, bestial (re-) interpretation of the late eighties, no matter if you’re talking about the Death, Thrash or Black Metal scene. …though the focus might lie on the first one, but that aside… Witchrist sonically explain why they fit to Iron Bonehead’s roster, and amateurs like undersigned just need to adore this fact. But that’s too simple, this explanation. This band might not bring something that renews (why should they anyway), but seen the intensity, the atmosphere, the persuasion and, especially, the (sonic) quality (this includes the rough, unpolished yet quite decent production), it must turn up fans of Iron Bonehead, just like that! Filthy and morbid Thrash / Black / Doom-injected Death ugliness from the Old Skool: who can resist it?!