Sign of the Witch

The San Francisco-based hippies in Orchid have made a career out of sounding more like Black Sabbath’s first five albums than Sabbath anno 2015 could ever dream of. This has been their modus operandi beginning with their great debut EP Through The Devil’s Doorway, extending through the freshly pressed Sign Of The Witch. Their magnificent Iommic riffing and the powerful howls of frontman Theo Mindell has earned the band a spot on Nuclear Blast’s roster, and a respectable legion of fans, reportedly counting Kirk Hammet among its numbers.

Continuing the 70’s spirit of their last full-length The Mouths Of Madness, Sign Of The Witch is overflowing with ripping riffs and groovy hooks. To nobody’s surprise, there are hints of both “War Pigs” and “Fairies Wear Boots” scattered across these four songs, but the band balances their reverent worship with enough character to avoid sliding into plagiarism. The opening track “Helicopters” is an napalm-scented slow burn led by a doomy bass line, but the real fun comes in the form of the energetic romp of “John The Tiger”, followed by the brilliant title-cut. A psychedelically tinged and riff-fuelled mastodon, “Sign Of The Witch” might be the finest Orchid-number yet. An exceptional earworm, here the band steps out of the long shadow cast by their gloomy idols. The EP trails off with the laid back trip of “Strange Winds”, a slow piece that draws inspiration from the same opium haze as where “Planet Caravan” was conceived, but sadly lacking the brilliance of its forebears.

The shameless Sabbath-worship so prevalent in all of Orchid’s work sometimes feels like a crutch when stretched across a full album. The EP-format fits the band perfectly, giving a bite-sized taste of their various strengths without overstaying their welcome. Sign Of The Witch is one hell of a toe-tapper, and the title track alone makes it near essential listening. In an ideal world, this is what Black Sabbath’s lackluster 13 would have sounded like.


Written for The Metal Observer