Witchgrave from V?xj?, Sweden, are a phenomenon ? they play N.W.O.B.H.M. just like it came straight from the old days of glory, yet they are young and hungry (or better: thirsty). The band is rightfully satisfied with the reactions to their first release, the mini album ?The Devil's Night? which came out on High Roller Records in 2010 and sold out very quickly: ?Yes, we are satisfied with the result, it was supposed to be released as a demo, and we didn't spend so much time on it, so the response was better than we expected.? Since then, Jocke Norberg (vocals, bass) and Sven (drums) teamed up with Tobbe Ander (guitars) and Gabriel Forslund (guitars), so Witchgrave have now grown into a proper four-piece band. Sven is also an active member of Antichrist, whose 2011 debut album received many fine reviews in the Metal press. While ?The Devil's Night? was recorded in the band?s rehearsal place with a simple portable studio, they moved into a studio to record their first, self-titled full-length album in a more professional environment. In a tradition-loving genre like the N.W.O.B.H.M., changes of any kind are not always welcomed ? yet professionalising the recording process didn't have any negative effect on Witchgrave's very own trademarks: ?I think the change is for the better. And also the production is a lot better, but not in a modern, crappy way. The sound is clearer and more powerful, but still raw, drunk and dirty? assures Jocke. The recording process very much mirrors Witchgrave's free and natural approach to their music: ?We used all the songs we had at that moment, and some of them weren?t even finished when we started recording, but I think they all turned out f?cking great.? The two new members have been involved in the writing process, and their artistic input contributes a lot to rounding up the whole picture: ?We all share the same vision of how it should sound.? So far Witchgrave played only a handful of shows, but now, with a lot more great material up their sleeves, they are looking forward to play as many gigs as possible. Yet again, they don't step back from their uncompromising attitude: Asked for a band Witchgrave would like to play with, the answer is: ?It would have to be a good band, otherwise we wouldn?t give a fuck. And then again, the best thing would be if we could tour alone, 'cause this would mean more beer for us.? The self-titled album will contain eight songs of repulsive metal music, including mouth-watering titles like ?The Virgin Must Die? and ?Motorcycle Killer?. Their lyrics deal with the occult, black magic and other dreadful things ? just the right stuff to go with the outfit's music. Witchgrave take their influences from the pioneers of the occult path of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal - think of Venom, Angel Witch, Hell and add a dash of Dark Throne-ish brutishness and a great deal of 60's/70's horror movie aesthetics - so if you love your metal like it was recorded in 1983, this release is simply mandatory. The cover artwork has been done once again by Kristoffer Palmgren, already responsible for the cover of ?The Devil's Night?. His art truly captures the spirit of the band and their music, which is best summed up in Jocke's own words: ?It's really cool and totally fucked up!?
