WITCHGÖAT — Egregors of the Black Faith (review)

WITCHGÖAT — Egregors of the Black Faith album cover

Album · 2019 · Black Metal

4/5 · 2024-01-01
siLLy puPPy

In the first quarter of the 21st century black metal has seen quite a few splinter groups spiral off in every conceivable direction as the Norwegian second wave has reached its 30 birthday so it seems as the original wizards of musical chaos and doom have long grown tired of what started it all, a whole new breed of bands across the world have longed for the return of the first wave of black metal where the brackish murky waters of thrash metal with blackened overtones ran supreme.

Looking more to classic Bathory and Celtic Frost than Darkthrone or Emperor, the magical mystics WITCHGÖAT from San Salvador, El Salvador has returned to those primeval origins and delivered a reprise with brazing bravado on its debut EGREGORS OF THE BLACK FAITH, a rampaging thrash metal attack only set in the lowest dimensional recesses of Hades itself where everything is tainted by the majestic throne of Satan himself. Hailing from the murder capital of Latin America, it’s no wonder that many a youth has turned to extreme metal to vent anger and resentment towards a deteriorating society bent on self-destruction.

Formed in 2016 in the company of a slew of like-minded El Salvadorians, the extreme metal scene has also seen the likes of fellow blackened thrashers like Conceived By Hate, Conflagracion and Darlament Norvadian take the youth by storm and crafting an underground metal scene, some of which is the most repugnantly evil in all of Latin America. EGREGORS refers to a group consciousness that encompasses the all and in that regard WITCHGÖAT channels the past masters of the blackened thrash world and spews the venom with an uncanny glee led by M. Miasma’s utter evil as fuck vocal vomit that if not for the thrash elements would propel this band into the world of war metal.

EGREGORS is a riff generating machine in its incessant stampeding of riff monsters galloping along and giving way to a new idea or two. The mixing is perfect as it allows the bass to be heard gurgling beneath the surface like the reverb of the ground as an army of galloping orks trods across Middle Earth. The tracks are generally well varied in how they come across with key changes and dynamic shifts from thundering bravado to moments of victorious clean solo guitar sweeps piercing loudly and proudly above the deafening din. With a mix of Nifelheim, Sarcófago, the Japanese Sabbat and lightning fast thrash attacks in the vein of classic Sadus, WITCHGÖAT doesn’t fuck around and delivers a devastating psychological blow par excellence.

This is the blackened thrash filth that vomitory dreams are made of. Fast aggressive guitar-led maniacal frenzies implemented with impunity combined with ever-changing shifts in strategy and high octane delivery. Laced with vocals undergoing an exorcism with percussive pummelation par excellence and bantering bass riffs guaranteed to trigger fault lines, WITCHGÖAT is the kind of band that delivers on the high aggression furor with no room for coffee breaks in the middle of a complete annihilation of the senses. Uncompromising blackened thrash is the best kind and in that regard WITCHGÖAT conjures the proper black magic to wreak havoc. Aaaarghhh!!!!!