‘Cross the misted moors and moonlit eventides cometh Scotland’s KING WITCH, now trimmed to a trio and releasing its third album – aptly titled III – like hound’s breath at thine heels. Eventually I’ll get around to sharing in detail my Third Album Hypothesis, which has served me well since the late ‘80s, and will hopefully prove true here. 2025 also marks the ten-year anniversary of the band, making III doubly (triply?) important.
With a natural, anticipatory build to the song itself, ‘Suffer In Life’ moves from a regal entrance to a self-assured, mid-paced stride, vocalist Laura Donnelly shrugging off any comparisons to the winsome, flowing gown draped “occult rock” overly “precious” females fronting oh, so many doom-adjacent bands today. Nah, this lass’s boot is on the monitor, and she’s giving it her all, comparable to GRAND MAGUS’ JB and – dare I say – DIO in delivery. Also, of note early on is the drumming of session player Andrew Scott, who’s clearly treating this like more than a paycheck, so hard are the hits.
The subtle lead-in to ‘Deal With The Devil’ could’ve gone a good bit longer to me, creating a mood, that “standing at the crossroads in a Mississippi night” feeling. As it stands, though, it’s a smoky, slow drag on a cigarette, a few thoughtful fingers of whisky while contemplating decisions and consequences. And if you’re wondering, yes, that riff at the bridge [3:50-4:08] is so, so perfect, coming out of nowhere as it does, disappearing just as quickly. ‘Swarming Flies’ weaves GRUNTRUCK/SKIN YARD dirt rock under and through Donnelly’s Staley-esque whine/roar, overpowering, a giantess hollering down fire from the granite fortress built by the Rory Lee/Andrew Scott rhythm force, hatter-mad axe wielder Jamie Gilchrist crafting eagle-screech solos and gnarled riffs all the while.
After a slower (yet no less powerful) ‘Sea Of Lies’, ‘Behind The Veil’ offers respite in the form of what may be called doom chamber music, if such a thing exists. Of course we’re battered in the latter third, but the Gilchrist-ian war weapon flings Southern rock phrasings and that’s when I get the comparison I’d been searching for regarding III as a whole. It’s a mix of the aforementioned GRAND MAGUS’ Wolf’s Return in its proud swagger, and the lone yet fantastic album from the UK’s MOURN in its more brooding moments.
There are many of both to be found in III, and if the empowering harmonies of the acoustic-led ‘Little Witch’ don’t prepare you for the NEUROSIS dynamics of ‘Last Great Wilderness’, then I’m not sure I’d say hello to you in the street. There was a children’s show when I was growing up in the US called Schoolhouse Rock!, and one of the songs meant to teach maths was called ‘Three Is The Magic Number’. KING WITCH makes this clear with III.
Review By: Lord Randall
KING WITCH
III
Listenable Records