Witch

(Tee Pee)
by Ari M. Joffe

Witch is an absolutely KILLER new band featuring Dinosaur Jr. head-honcho J Mascis on drums, his longtime buddy Dave Sweetapple on bass, and Feathers members Kyle Thomas and Asa Irons on vocals and guitar, respectively.

The four-piece lays down some supremely spaced-out, ominous stoner rock that carries a heavy “retro” vibe with nods to Hawkwind, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Saint Vitus. Asa Irons’ warm, thick, peanut butter guitar sound in particular resembles Vitus guitarist Dave Chandler’s signature super fuzz tone. Mascis, best known as a guitarist, does a solid job on the drums. No one’s going to mistake him for a heavyweight in the class of Dale Crover or Brant Bjork, but he is as Sweetapple and Irons lock in and lay down some sweet grooves. Thomas’ vocals are light, breezy, and low in the mix (which is about the only resemblance Witch has to Mascis’ other band) and seem to float effortlessly over the huge riffs.

This is quite a debut from these fellas. With all the bands out there on the stoner rock/doom metal scene, it’s easy for awesome bands like this to get lost in the shuffle. Trust me folks, this isn’t just some run-of-the-mill, Sabbath rehash noise. Witch is the real deal. Go buy this, pronto.
(www.teepeerecords.com)