R E V I E W S


Seven Witches
Call Upon The Wicked

Company: Screaming Ferret
Release: 2011
Genre: Traditional
Reviewer: EC

  • A flat mess across the board



    • Vicious Rumors' "Razorback Killers" have already delivered the knockout this year in terms of red, white and blue metal bravado. Now Jersey's Seven Witches step up with veteran James Rivera (Helstar) back in the coven. Rivera joins for this 10th anniversary record; eight records in ten years and Rivera's third for the group. You would be hard pressed to find a better record than Rivera and Frost's collaboration on "Passage To The Other Side" (2003).

    Can they conjure the force again?

    Well...no.

    This is just a flat mess across the board, hounded by muddy guitar and almost lifeless production from Joey Vera (Armored Saint). These songs just lack that extra momentum to make them memorable. This is a far different effort than the 00s work with Rivera at the helm.

    You can look at tired efforts like opener "Fields Of Fire" or "Lilith" and find these songs carry no real sense of purpose or anything to marry the listener. In years past Frost has dominated with sheer fire intensity and a mad display of talent. Here the riffs are broken, bruised and...borrowed. I can't fathom the nine minutes of "End Of Days" and even good songs like "Ragnarok" suffer from lack of direction (the chorus is just awful). Only true highlight here is the Dio-styled title track (an ode possibly?).

    The bonus songs are older material re-recorded but sound as if they are coming from a bathroom stall--live from club unknown.



    Maximum Metal Rating Legend - Full Details
    5 Excellent - Buy it and say a prayer to the metal gods that you were tuned on to this masterpiece. A classic.
    4-4.5 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a clunker or a lacking somewhere to keep it from perfection. You won't feel bad about dropping some bones on these.
    3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler. This is the OK range where you'd search for the record on sale or used.
    3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio. Could show skills but be dull overall. Redeeming qualities for indy bands are effort and passion. Majors that don't try or suck outright end up here.
    2-2.5 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors. There is much better metal out there.
    1-1.5 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
    0 Terrible or an otherwise waste of your life and time.

    Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

    The best way to determine how much you may like certain music is to listen to it yourself.

    Demos and independent releases get some slack since the bands are often spent broke supporting themselves and trying to improve. Major releases usually have big financial backing, so they may be judged by a heavier hand. All scores can be eventually adjusted up or down by comparison of subsequent releases by the same band. We attempt to keep biases out of reviews and be advocates of the consumer without the undo influence of any band, label, management, promoter, etc.


    All reviews for this band:
    CD
    		 TITLE BAND
    DOR
    		 REVIEWER DATE
    		AmpedSeven Witches
    2006
    		EC1/13/2006
    		Call Upon The WickedSeven Witches
    2011
    		EC9/30/2011
    		City Of Lost SoulsSeven Witches
    2006
    		EC2/18/2006
    		Passage To The Other SideSeven Witches
    2003
    		EC4/2/2003
    		Second War In HeavenSeven Witches
    2006
    		EC2/18/2006


    Interviews found from this band:
    INTERVIEW BAND INTERVIEWER DATE
    Wade BlackSeven WitchesEC4/4/2003


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