Icarus Witch: Draw Down The Moon

Icarus Witch claim to be leaders in the NWOTM (New Wave Of Traditional Metal), and undoubtedly their sound is a huge and intentional nod to the past as it basically incorporates Di'Anno era Maiden and Judas Priest along with a dash of Dio and Accept.

Forming in 2004 Icarus Witch have so far made quite an impression on the traditional metal scene, with support slots with Heaven and Hell, Kamelot and Coheed & Cambria. Most recently they have been on the road with Di'Anno and while style wise it is easy to see why this band would make good bedfellows for their tour mates, on the efforts of Draw Down The Moon, musically they fall slightly short. It's not that the Witch's third album (they've also put out an EP), is awful, it's just decidedly short of inspiration and memorable songs. Vocalist Mathew Bizilia has left the band since the release of this album and at the risk of being unkind, that might actually be a blessing, as his delivery sounds forced and overly "dramatic", to the extent that in places it feels more like he is ticking the metal boxes, rather than delivering a heartfelt passionate vocal.

The songs themselves also lack a cutting edge, with a muddy production and too much reliance on mid paced, or slower stomping tracks that when met in quick succession really do become rather dull and boring. Even after listening to the album repeatedly it's hard to recall individual songs as they all seem to merge into one another. Best on show is opener "Black Candles" which holds more urgency and bite than almost the rest of the disc put together, whereas the version of Judas Priest's "The Ripper" is as uninspired in execution as it is a choice of song to cover.

Since Bizilia's departure, Christopher Saner has been recruited to fill the vocal slot and a second guitarist Ed Skero will also bulk out the six string attack. Hopefully these additions will be the catalyst that Icarus Witch need to start making music that lives up to their hype. The actual musical prowess of guitarist Quinn Lucas, bassist Jason Myers and drummer Steve Johnson is up to the required standard and with the right batch of songs there's no doubt that Icarus Witch could put together a much better album than this one.

Track Listing
1. Black Candles
2. Aquarius Rising
3. Reap What You Sow
4. Dying Eyes
5. Draw Down The Moon
6. Serpent In The Garden
7. Funeral Wine
8. Haunting Visions
9. The Ripper

Added: April 18th 2010
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band's Web Site
Hits: 3421
Language: english

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