Witchcraft - Nucleus. New album coming January 15th.

Witchcraft returns with their first new album since 2012's Legend.  It appears the lineup is brand new for Nucleus, singer Magnus Pelander has taken over as sole guitarist (he had stopped playing guitar entirely on Legend) and Witchcraft is now a power trio for the first time in their career with new members Rage Widerberg on bass and Tobias Anger on drums. (rage & anger...funny) 

The first single "The Outcast" will be released on December 4th.  



Full details on the album and the 7 inch single release for The Outcast below:

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/music/band/news/details/4071575.931546.witchcraft-album-details-erste-single.html

I really dug Legend when it came out, then I kind of forgot about it. I'll have to give this one a shot when it's released.

The press release mentions "the rawer side of their early roots" which is good news as far as I'm concerned. I thought Legend was a good record but I don't think the modern production sound was the best fit for the material. I was also unhappy with Pelander's decision not to play guitar because he was frankly the best guitarist in the band based on when I saw them live on tour for The Alchemist. The idea of them becoming a power trio is a perfect fit as far as I'm concerned. Now we'll just have to wait and see what the material sounds like.

Interesting...........

Their first album is fantastic, so if that's what the rawer side of their roots sounds like, I'd be more than down to listen to this.

I've enjoyed all of their albums to various extents, but the first two are certainly my favorites. These dudes and Orchid are really the only two that have held up for me out of the whole retro 70s thing. Everything else is getting as boring as all of the retro thrash and new wave of traditional stuff coming out.

In short: cool, man.

Cool. Looking forward to new music.

I recently assembled a playlist with these guys, Horisont, Noctum and Dead Man, entitled "Swedish Meatballs".

First single...



Nothing too special really, but it sounds decent and enough like their other material to spark an interest from me. Not that it would take much.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

First single...



Nothing too special really, but it sounds decent and enough like their other material to spark an interest from me. Not that it would take much.

I really like it.

I'm glad they returned to their original retro recording sound, it's a more appropriate fit for their sound. I'm always happy to hear new material from Magnus, he's an interesting singer/songwriter. It's also nice to hear him playing guitar again...

I just listened to it a while ago and I dig it! Now that I have heard something from the upcoming album, I'll probably pre-order it like I did the last one.

I heard the new song yesterday. I like it.

New tune and it's heavy as hell. Love it!

For a long time now people have been mistakenly categorizing Witchcraft as a "doom band", even though they really weren't.  I guess Magnus finally got disgusted with it and decided to deliver a doom album...  

Opening single The Outcast is odd man out on this album, the expanded instrumentation and upbeat groove are primarily only heard in that one track.  The remainder of the album is mostlystripped down (hence the title Nucleus) power trio heft.  Slow, brooding, atmospheric, trippy and grim, this is by far the darkest journey Witchcraft has taken yet.  This is the type of album you have to kind of surrender to, it's a headphones on, eyes closed type of experience.  

Track listing:  

1. Maelstrom (8:31)
2. Theory of Consequences (2:25)
3. The Outcast (5:56)
4. Nucleus (14:08)
5. An Exorcism of Doubts (7:39)
6. The Obsessed (4:47)
7. To Transcend Bitterness (4:01)
8. Helpless (6:26)
9. Breakdown (15:55)
10. Chasing Rainbows (3:51)

I'll probably end up writing a review once I've had the chance to digest it a little more.

Just waiting for Mr. Postman to deliver my copy. I never got that "doom" tag either. "Retro", sure, but they never struck me as doom although folks labeled them as such. Eh, whatever.

I just ordered the 2LP set, I was waiting until I could hear the album before pulling the trigger. This is the type of music that I like to get on vinyl, the medium fits the vibe.

S.D. wrote:

I just ordered the 2LP set, I was waiting until I could hear the album before pulling the trigger.  This is the type of music that I like to get on vinyl, the medium fits the vibe.  

Yep! Witchcraft and The Sword are my two "I'm getting it on Lp" bands.

I'll catch up with this properly tomorrow but the first couple of tracks are killer.Heavier than expeted.

Really loving this record. Magnus is just unhinged on this album, I've always dug his voice, but he's really cranked it up a notch on here. Killer guitar sound throughout as well, I'm glad he started playing again.

The track "An Exorcism of Doubts" could be my new all-time favorite Witchcraft tune. Killer.

After a cursory listen, I like it a lot, as I expected. There is one song I do not care for, I think it was "The Outlaw", but need to re-listen to be sure. It had a flute and the whole song reminded me too much of Led Zeppelin. I'm not down with LZ.

I got the vinyl on the way as I type...James is Happy Guy

Yeah I'm digging this and it feels like a grower as well.

Boris2008 wrote:

Yeah I'm digging this and it feels like a grower as well.

Yes, it does continue to improve the more you let it sink in.

It's my favorite Witchcraft release next to "The Alchemist". I liked their last album Legend well enough but I felt the production was overly polished and modern sounding for the material, this time they've retained the power but the grit has returned, which completely fits the heavier direction.

I'm always going to have a soft spot for those first 3 albums, I think some of the best the retro scene had to offer, especially with the vintage instrumentation and analog recording aesthetic that they were using. But I'm also happy that Magnus has continued to let the music develop and move past where it started and I think Nucleus points the way toward many interesting possibilities for the future.

This has been my number one spinner so far this year. Helpless is one of those rare tracks that drags you into the vocalist's mental and emotional degradation. The whole album is crushing and never loses momentum.

I call Helpless a "dirge blues", though technically it's not a blues at all...but it does have some of that blues feel to it, particularly in the very Morrison-inspired vocal delivery and that ferocious damn guitar solo....