WITCHER - HUNGARY

WITCHER – LÉLEKHARANG – FILOSOFEM  
Sure, it was the album’s cover artwork and the members’ list, half of which (Karola Gere) is on keyboards, but one minute into the serene keyboard intro that sounds like something Amorphis would compose and the listener knows what to expect from this duo.
Witcher from Hungary has been around for a decade and this is the group’s third full-length. The music is of the Summoning variety, but more song-oriented. It is still lo-fi, but nothing is as lo-fi as Summoning so inevitably the CD is better sounding than anything the Austrian gang releases. In fact, after several listens Witcher sounds more in the same league as Elderwind than Summoning. The general vibe should be clear by now.
The first song is Hamvak - Ashes and the hiss of a drum machine quickly becomes apparent as a weakness. The music is mid-paced, harsh and strangely soothing at the same time. Witcher emphasizes the harmonies. Mood and atmosphere are important to these two. It is gloomy certainly, but not necessarily metal. Still, there are the harsh vocals to add power. It often sounds like there is a bell playing along on this album and especially so on the ritualistic title track Lélekharang - Soul Bell. Lélekharang is a soul bell in Hungary that is rooted in folklore. According to the biography the band is using this as a symbol against Christianity and regretting the passage of time and loss of the old ways. Overall, there is less of a vocal presence on this album probably because, as mentioned, Witchery is a duo. Hazatérés - Homecoming is the best track. It is more aggressive with good riffing and vocals, but it is all shrouded by synthesizers sadly. It is just all too wimpy. The band fills up the rest of the album with its version of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata for whatever reason. – Anna Tergel