DEATHWITCH
Violence Blasphemy Sodomy (Earache/Wicked World)
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry

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Completely in tune but from another time, Deathwitch bring Terror to your stereo in an effort to revive the sounds of their founding fathers. The very raw vocals here are pure Bon Scott merged with Chuck Schulinder (the latter being in the seminal Death). The end of each phrase belongs to Scott, while Schulinder gets the body of lyrics like those on "Necrosodomizer" or "Coffin Fornicator." "Blood Sucking Fuck" has some excellent old-school thrash touches to it (guitars and drum interplay), and elsewhere this group employs a stream of blast beats ala Repulsion or Morbid Angel. Is the cd skipping on "Witch of Death"? I don't think so (smiling). In fact, the song has one of the best slow-to-beyond-a-crawl-then-st-stop endings I've heard on a recording anywhere yet. "Bitchfinder" isn't afraid to open melodically while the singer gargles with the nuts and bolts found on the highway that morning as Deathwitch drove out to record this. But "Worthless Scum" was my favorite, as their continual crescendo is reached in the whirlwind of clipped percussion. Cathartic. When you see a film of a car exploding and the bent shrapnel flies in slow motion think of Violence Blasphemy Sodomy, an admirable way to experience 1989 without having to borrow cassettes from your older brother.

9/10

© 2004 - Jason Thornberry