Icarus Witch-Draw Down The Moon

Last Updated (Tuesday, 13 July 2010 12:51) Written by Miguel Blardony Monday, 28 June 2010 20:59

Release Date: February 9, 2010

Label: Cleopatra Records

Genre: Heavy Metal

Rating: 7/10

Comments: Third album is the swansong of ever-faithful vocalist Matthew Bizzila.

Unlike the recent flood of bands who’ve eschewed the contemporary scene’s virtues for an honest ‘old-school’ sound, Icarus Witch stand apart from the pack because they’ve been at it long before old school became a fad. From that “White Lace” EP followed by “Capture The Magic” and on to “Songs for The Lost,” the Witch have been a breath of fresh air to those who always believed metal was at its peak between 70’ and 82’. Indeed, Icarus Witch built their reputations by being a time capsule of sorts for mullet-headed diehards. However, unavoidable disturbances in the global scene have caught up with the quartet. You see, around 2008 there was a retro-thrash fever that gripped the labels, who wasted no time feeding us Gama Bomb, Evile, Bonded By Blood, Merciless Death, Hatchet, etc. To think these bands began their careers at the same time a whole generation of foggies launched comebacks—Testament, Sacrifice, Death Angel...

So what’s all the rage now is—a rage that Icarus Witch are bound to be caught in—are the newer old school revivalists who’ve already been dubbed by some semi-literate wag with a knack for acronyms The New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTHM).  This newfangled movement—call it a trend even—counts among its ranks Mean Streak, Skull Fist, Cryonic, Enforcer, Ram, Kissin’ Dynamite, Steelwing, and a million other clones of clones of clones. That’s what you get with trends, lots of short lived sparks who shine bright one moment then die a natural death the next. Alas, a very academic analysis of the current scene has clouded this review’s intention, that intention is to anal-lyze the third album from Icarus Witch, “Draw Down The Moon.”

Moving on…for those new to Icarus Witch, expect Dio-era Sabbath meets your NWOBHM heroes throughout the eight songs here plus the farewell rendition of the Judas Priest classic “The Ripper.” On the other hand, if you’re a long-time devotee, expect the same songwriting sparkle and tight musicianship that are the foundation stones of the Icarus Witch sound. “Black Candles,” the anthemic “Aquarius Rising,” and the dramatic heft of “Funeral Wine,” which is actually the band’s original name before a strategic switcharoo. A solid slab of late-70s metal, Icarus Witch are in fine form on “Draw Down The Moon.” Perhaps the only drawback here is it won’t exactly inspire your average Bullet For My Valentine-fixated headbanger.