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Wytch Stream Exordium in Full; Out Tomorrow on Ripple Music

Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on May 20th, 2021 by JJ Koczan

wytch

Sweden’s Wytch make their debut this Friday, May 21, with Exordium. Presented through Ripple Music, it is the follow-up to a 2017 self-titled EP released under the band’s old moniker, Aska, through Sound Effect, and whatever they’re called, the five-piece have a pedigree that goes considerably further, with vocalist Johanna Lundberg, bassist/backing vocalist Simon Lundström, drummer Fredrik Nilsson and guitarist/vocalist Mattias Marklund having served in one capacity or another in Vintersorg or the related outfit Otyg in a more Viking/extreme-related context. With Niklas Viklund on guitar and backing vocals in addition to producing and engineering, then-Aska/now-Wytch present a sound likewise Scandinavian in its context, bringing classic heavy rock and heavy metal together in a style that spans decades as fluidly as it spans verses and choruses. As introductions go, it is enticing.

Both sides of the 39-minute eight-tracker open in forceful fashion. Lead cut “Black Hole” has some of the hardest hitting the album that follows will feature, while “Warrior” digs deep into Sabbath-circa-’75 heavy swing before its break into a soothing midsection and subsequent solo-topped resurgence. That’s not to say the rest of Exordium is lacking presence by any means, but it’s clear Wytch put some intent as to which songs were going to speak for them first; something that only shows a considered process on the whole. “Savior” follows “Black Hole” on side A, with an immediate turn toward moodiness with its forward bassline, malevolent lyric and dual-vocal hook in the chorus. There’s a ’70s vibe to the verse, but it’s more Fleetwood Mac than Led Zeppelin and the guitar flourish as the lyrics explore the dependency of religious dogma on its followers is pure “Don’t Fear the Reaper” — making those lyrics all the more appropriate.

That these initial tracks are also longer than what follows in either side A’s “Evil Heart” and “Blood” or side B’s “Rebel,” “Break You Down” and “You” shouldn’t be lost either. wytch exordiumA strength to which Wytch play well throughout Exordium is momentum. “Evil Heart” shreds early and shoves late in its sub-five-minute run, and though “Blood” has more of a bluesy bounce — you’d almost call it a Clutch influence for the wiggling central verse riff — but it too shows some metallic underpinning in the lead guitar before it’s done. “Warrior” follows and may or may not be about screwing — hey, people screw — but is as much a showpiece for Nilsson‘s shuffling drums as Lundberg‘s vocal presence, careening as it does through the aforementioned quiet stretch and duly exploding at the finish, letting “Rebel” mirror “Savior” with its turn to a calmer vibe. Tension in the guitar as “Rebel” moves into its second half foreshadows the burst circa three minutes in, but Wytch handle it in classy, not-overdone spirit, and move into the melodic highlight “Break You Down” — there’s potential yet-untapped in vocal arrangements here, and “Break You Down” is the proof — which offers a fuller distortion, leads-a-plenty and Exordium‘s most memorable chorus.

With that accomplished, only “You” remains to close, and it does so in relatively unassuming fashion, tapping a similar dual-vocal method and offering a nod to doom in the riff that emerges in its back end, but ending deep rather than big ultimately. That is, there’s isn’t necessarily a grand finale in “You” so much as a broadening of the space the mix encompasses, and fair enough for that. The intention throughout Exordium could hardly be less pretentious — this is a group of people with a set of quality songs they recorded and will be releasing as a long-player record, thank you very much — but the work they’re doing is well able to stand on its own without and concordant posturing. As the old saying doesn’t but should go: when you have songs, you don’t need bullshit. So be it with Wytch.

And if you’re wondering why they changed the name from Aska, there was a black metal band that apparently had it first. They’re not quite as, well, witchy, as calling themselves Wytch might lead one to think, but the clarity with which they bring together these songs speaks to an overarching plan just the same. If you want to call it a spell, I ain’t gonna fight you.

Album stream follows.

Enjoy:

“‘Our album Exordium’ is about the darker side of life, love and even death. The sound ranges from soft and mellow heavy to almost punk rock, but overall, you can call it Heavy Rock. There’s no intentional flirtation with the 70s or any other specific era for that matter, we just played whatever we felt like. No boundaries. The album was recorded without a click track, which certainly added authenticity and honesty to it.” says the band.

Their debut album ‘Exordium’ was recorded and produced by Niklas Viklund at Silverhäxan Studios in Skellefteå, and mastered by Ronnie Björnström at The Mixroom, Sundsvall in Sweden. The artwork was designed by WYTCH vocalist Johanna Lundberg. ‘Exordium’ will be released on May 21st, 2021 in various vinyl formats, CD and digital through Ripple Music.

WYTCH started under the name Aska in the spring of 2016 in Skellefteå, Sweden. The members come from different musical backgrounds, being formerly of bands such as Otyg, The Spacious Mind, TME, Vintersorg and Stardog. In 2017, the band released a four song EP as Aska. In October 2020, they signed to Ripple Music and changed their name to Wytch — a heavy rock five piece that is about to release their first full-length ‘Exordium’.

WYTCH is
Johanna Lundberg – Vocals
Simon Lundström – Bass & Vocals
Niklas Viklund – Guitars & Vocals
Mattias Marklund – Guitars & Vocals
Fredrik Nilsson – Drums

Wytch on Facebook

Wytch on Instagram

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

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Wytch Set May 21 Release for Debut LP Exordium

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 17th, 2021 by JJ Koczan

wytch

The debut album from Sweden’s Wytch — formerly known as Aska — will be released through Ripple Music on May 21. You might notice a range of descriptors in the album info below, and I haven’t heard the full record, but I feel like the streaming track “Black Hole” bears that out. There’s a bit of classic heavy to it, but the sound is modern. In mood it’s somewhere between doom and rock, but it does have an undercurrent of attitude as well that comes through and you can see where they might get punkier elsewhere. I guess what all that means is there’s some reasonable expectation of Wytch — who are of course not to be confused with Witch or Wytch Hazel or any number of other acts out there practicing the dark arts — finding a niche for themselves in terms of sound.

Guess we’ll find out in May if they get there, but given the pedigree here, it’s not so surprising they’d have an idea who they want to be as a band. To say the very least, they seem to bring that to bear.

From the PR wire:

Swedish proto-metal quintet WYTCH sign to Ripple Music; share rocking first single and details for upcoming debut album ‘Exordium’!

Ripple Music are happy to welcome Skellefteå, Sweden’s proto-metallers WYTCH to their international roster, for the release of their debut album ‘Exordium’ on May 21st, 2021. Enjoy the merciless grooves of their debut single “Black Hole” now.

First single “Black Hole” is a straightforward heavy rock tune that rocks in all the rights places with commanding riffs and a sharp rhythm section, all enhanced by Johanna Lundberg’s sultry and fiery vocals. Darkness-bound yet universally relatable, this 5-minute proto-metal banger deals with reaching the breaking point and trying to get back alive.

“‘Our album Exordium’ is about the darker side of life, love and even death. The sound ranges from soft and mellow heavy to almost punk rock, but overall, you can call it Heavy Rock. There’s no intentional flirtation with the 70s or any other specific era for that matter, we just played whatever we felt like. No boundaries. The album was recorded without a click track, which certainly added authenticity and honesty to it.” says the band.

Their debut album ‘Exordium’ was recorded and produced by Niklas Viklund at Silverhäxan Studios in Skellefteå, and mastered by Ronnie Björnström at The Mixroom, Sundsvall in Sweden. The artwork was designed by WYTCH vocalist Johanna Lundberg. ‘Exordium’ will be released on May 21st, 2021 in various vinyl formats, CD and digital through Ripple Music.

WYTCH Debut album ‘Exordium’ Out May 21st, 2021 on Ripple Music

TRACK LISTING:
1. Black Hole
2. Savior
3. Evil Heart
4. Blood
5. Warrior
6. Rebel
7. Break You Down
8. You

WYTCH started under the name Aska in the spring of 2016 in Skellefteå, Sweden. The members come from different musical backgrounds, being formerly of bands such as Otyg, The Spacious Mind, TME, Vintersorg and Stardog. In 2017, the band released a four song EP as Aska. In October 2020, they signed to Ripple Music and changed their name to Wytch — a heavy rock five piece that is about to release their first full-length ‘Exordium’.

WYTCH is
Johanna Lundberg – Vocals
Simon Lundström – Bass & Vocals
Niklas Viklund – Guitars & Vocals
Mattias Marklund – Guitars & Vocals
Fredrik Nilsson – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579726744
https://www.instagram.com/wytch_theband/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

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