Deadly Charms

When SpellBook released its Magick & Mischief debut in 2019, I was instantly taken by its occultic no brainer of a band name - up there with Night Demon - and overall slinky breed of pentatonic enchantment, similar in style and prose as fellow supernatural proponents of the pentatonic riff Bone Church, Doctor Smoke, Duel, Orchid and almighty forefather Pentagram. Three years later and less than a fortnight away from All Hallows Eve, White Rose City's quartet-turned-(dual guitar) quintet returns in full force with Deadly Charms, an evil breakfast cereal evoking dirge comprised of nine mercurially juggled tracks which beg fair share of slack kneed sing along synchronization.

Line-up wise, SpellBook's main grimoire reader Nate Tyson and rhythm section of bassist Seibert Lowe Jr. and drummer Nick Zinn bid farewell to lone axe man Andy Craven whilst welcoming with open arms the fluid jive provided by newfound tandem of Patrick Benton and Les Yarde. From a technical perspective, it parallels Night Demon's sophomoric grave flight to tune of respective six-string replacement. Except for token instrumental opener/piano laced spooker "1928", Deadly Charms rocks out with as much candor and snap as any of above's pinnacle.

A warped staccato boogie begins in earnest once a downright Ozzy-ish "Rehmeyer's Hollow" sashays to languid beat of a grungy doom riff and plodding bass line as Tyson dog sets festively chthonic tone for album's catchy forty-some minute duration. Vocally, he commands as much presence as Duel's Tom Frank and Pentagram's still active Bobby Liebling, particularly on chorus to "Goddess" (which gives latter's melodic 2004 incarnation a devoted run for its cheddar), as well as title track's rich, mystical verses - think of male twist on Psychedelic Witchcraft's Virginia Monti - and, shockingly, a crazed, semi-shouty, menacing rant in rockabilly party shaker "Night Of The Doppelganger".

Cresting middle territory, the easy breezy, cowbell tock waltz of "Pandemonium" soon breaks out into a cryptic Witchfinder General type drum roll before doubling down for the count. Its slower, low-tide follow-up, "Her Spectral Armies" features SpellBook's orator in alternately serene and solemn form, at times accompanied by sylphlike female croons. This is also where our newfound pair of wizardly troubadours let fly like Valkyries via a profound display of pyrotechnical trade-off power. Clocking in as shortest cut at three plus minutes, "The Witch Of Ridley Creek" supplies a cabalistic minion's po(r)tion of Old World lore mixed in with steady stoner rock groove.

Following "Night Of The Doppelganger"', SpellBook closes its little shop of horrors with "Out For Blood", which, due to incongruous happy-go-lucky pop vibe, kind of feels like a B-Side bonus track. You could say it enlivens such deadly charms.