Witchtanic Hellucinations

Debut albums are not perfect most of the times. Fuck, some debuts are not even good even though the rest of the band's discography is great. Yet, here we are with Acid Witch's Witchtanic Hellucinations which is not only the best album that the band has ever released, it's also the hands down best death/doom album ever! It's a perfect mix between psychedelic rock and death/doom, but the thing that this album does better than any of its successors, is that they don't abuse synth that much on this album and they rely on the filthy fucking riffs and the brutal growls of Lasse Pyykkö.

But let's slow down a bit. The album came out in the SAME MONTH with Hooded Menace's debut, so you are going to find a lot of things common in both albums regarding Lasse Pyykkö's vocals, but the thing is, that while on Fulfill the Curse you will hear some straight up death/doom, the 80s B movie atmosphere complemented with the stoner metal elements suit his vocals a lot more (it's a shame that he left the band soon after the next EP). The suffocating growls of his are straight up inhumane, the vocalist I can compare him to, is the vocalist of Druid Lord, but even that doesn't give him a justice.

The guitar riffs are top tier, just like most death/doom records, but there is something about them that makes me want to come back for more and more. They are heavy, and when I say "heavy", I mean like really fucking HEAVY thanks to the extra stoner layer and the death metal chugs. On some songs (e.g. Into the Cave; The Black Witch; Witchtanic Hellucinations) you can hear what I mean. The mix between the doom/stoner riffs are extraordinary beyond belief, but the well-placed occasional guitar solos are just something else. They add a whole new layer to the atmosphere rather than taking anything away from it. The thing that shocks me the most is that nobody tries to mimic their sound when it works so well.

It doesn't matter how hard I try to find anything negative about the album, it's just perfect. From the amazing art work through the synth interlude tracks to the instrumentation, everything is just perfect. Sadly the band never managed to top this record and only went "downhill" from this point on (even though every single release of theirs is amazing), but I highly doubt it's even possible to top this. This album proves that Acid Witch belongs to the death/doom pantheon with Asphyx, Cianide; Autopsy and other top tier bands.

Because it lacks filler tracks, the highlight is the entire album.