Wytch Hazel & Phantom Spell
Ride On / Palantiri
Bad Omen Records
Released : March 28, 2024
Bad Omen Records are about to drop a pair of brilliant split seven-inch records in the coming days – one between Spell and Pøltergeist – and this one, between Wytch Hazel and Phantom Spell.
In days long past, people would spend hours relaxing by a turntable, happy as pigs in shit to constantly flip records over to hear what was on the opposite side. In todays fast-paced world of instant gratification and convenience, all that has been lost – replaced by junk like spotify and streaming. With it, we have lost the beauty and the romance that physical media brought us, and to tell the truth, I greatly miss that despite never having stopped doing it. (I still don’t stream and never will.)
Here are two of the best and brightest British bands leading the charge of traditional heavy metal, and doing so with valor and in the name of Jesus Christ, which may be a turn off for some (in all honesty, it would be for me too if Wytch Hazel weren’t so bloody good – I just dislike religion). As a life-long lover of anything even slightly related to the NWOBHM movement; the two bands found on this lovely split are indeed right up my alley.
See Also: Various Artists “A Waxing Moon Over Babylon” Review
With their open-hearted chivalric anthem Ride On, Wytch Hazel effortlessly extend their yawning purple patch, Colin Hendra’s devout troubadours currently among the hottest names in British heavy metal, even while rocking white spandex and singing songs to the glory of God. As with so many great Wytch Hazel tunes across four superb albums since 2016, this almighty galloping earworm will swiftly munch its way through the corpuscles in your head, its gorgeous guitar solo slithering gracefully along your cortex, warping time to convince you this has surely been a family favorite drivetime rock classic for decades.
On the flipside, Phantom Spell explore more cryptic vistas with Palantiri, a song about Tolkien’s crystal balls, nailing the arcane, otherworldly vibe of those early NWOBHM pioneers who used keyboards to project a heightened level of mystical drama – cult raves like Shiva, Limelight or Marquis De Sade – as well as household names like Rush and Styx. Entirely the work of Kyle McNeill, founding frontman of London-based trad metal whizz-kids Seven Sisters, Phantom Spell’s beguiling debut LP Immortal’s Requiem emerged in 2022, but Palantíri is their strongest tune yet, building and bursting with shimmery cascades of warm guitar surrounding an imploringly epic chorus.
Read More:
>> Birth “Born” Review
>> Wytch Hazel “III : Pentecost” Review
>> Spirit Adrift “Enlightened In Eternity” Review
This wonderful seven-inch split can be found on the Bad Omens Records bandcamp site along with a slew of other gems – and the more astute among you will also note that both of the songs on this release can be heard on the site as well. So have a listen for yourself then do what I plan on doing – ordering myself a copy of the record to gleefully sit and flip between songs on my turntable. Convenience be damned.
For Fans Of : Spirit Adrift, Haunt, Bashful Alley
Track Listing:
01. Ride On (Wytch Hazel)
02. Palantiri (Phantom Spell)
