Witch
Paralyzed
(Tee Pee Records, 2008)

Just as I was about to start this review off by calling Witch an indie metal supergroup featuring a certain someone on drums, I first checked the press release for any key information and it told me in the very first sentence that pulling this kind of “journalistic stigma” would be to underestimate the commitment of the band’s members. Really? Well I can do that one better, because what could be more of a journalistic stigma than getting all meta like this in the lede? Take that press release writer!

Look, I get weary of hearing about all the ways in which we journalists commit these marks of disgrace. Oftentimes we do, but what, pray tell, is disgraceful about the fact that this band has some indie hitters coming together to take a heavy rock romp together? Let’s just call it what it is here—and there’s nothing wrong with what it is—and be done with all the tiresome semantics.

If you don’t already know, Witch features J Mascis as the drummer. That needs (begs!) to be stated upfront. Mascis and long-time friend Dave Sweetapple wanted to do the heavy rock thing, so Sweetapple got his other friend Kyle Thomas from their band, Feathers (a freak folk collective), to form Witch. These elements promise something, something possibly unique. And, while there’s apparently some sort of negativity attached to the term “supergroup,” like a supposed nail in the coffin of its longevity, there is no denying that the people over at the Witch camp would like for you to consider their band with J Mascis as the drummer. That fact alone means something, means you’re supposed to give Witch a listen whether you like the heavy stuff or not. It’s, like, significant.

Alright, let me drop the cynicism and get on with the record. What’s the band’s sophomore album Paralyzed got that the others don’t? J Mascis. I’m being serious now. To me there are bands with unknown dudes doing just as much as, if not more than, Witch with this throwback stoner metal genre. The only thing that makes Witch worthy of special attention by those fans outside the genre is its roster. And it’s really not that Witch should be expected to do more than what they are simply because they’re a couple of guys who have made names for themselves already. The bigger question is why those surrounding them and their promotional efforts want to make us believe it has to be more. Perhaps that’s the stigma.

To be fair, Witch does kind of rule. The production is lo-fi and a little sloppy, but it’s vastly welcomed. Mascis’ assailing, fast-tempo drums drive the songs, which overall contain angst-fueled lyrics with imagery that’s dark and ill-disposed. They’ve definitely sped things up for Paralyzed, which isn’t my favorite aspect of this record. On their self-titled debut, they carried a mellowed, stoner rock vibe that vied for the trudging appeal of Black Sabbath rather than with sped up riffs that want to do Motörhead proud, but end up coming off more like vapid cock rock instead. Album opener “Eye”, “1000 Mph”, and “Space God” almost painstakingly jest this kind of music rather than elevate it, and for some reason these moments cut deep with offense… especially on that first track, which sets the tone for everything else that comes after it. Luckily, the most offensive tracks are followed by some of the best: “Disappear” is a solid psych/metal tune where Mascis drums his face off, and the band really slows things down for the blistering ballad “Sweet Sue.” The tune “Psychotic Rock” is also a grower, as other tracks do on this record once they’re distinguished from the cancerous ones.

Paralyzed does, however, maintain all the key elements that stoner metal imagery requires—why do so many songs in this genre contain lyrics about the sun going black? Anyway, Witch is pretty upfront about never practicing and rarely playing shows, and they go so far as to put this in their press release as well (and yet I’m underestimating their commitment?). Perhaps if they did play together more, they could hone in on what works and what doesn’t, because this album showcases both. Luckily, they close Paralyzed with the concentrated, oh-so-droning track “Old Trap Line”, a song that combines all the elements metal fans are looking for in just the right amounts, proving that when Witch wants to, they can transcend themselves and any stigma that may be attached to them.

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

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