I still memorize the day I bought my brand new vinyl copy of the band's "Second War In Heaven debut "shot. Think about it... 1999... not much of US straight-forward, guitar-guided, shout-it-out-loud Heavy Metal releases. That was the second reason that daunted me in this outfit. The first one? Read below...
US Power Metallers Seven Witches were formed at the end of 1998, rising off the ashes of Frost Bite, who released two albums on US indie companies. Mainman Jack Frost had finally found the right musicians to create his idea of Metal and after just one demo he also finally signed a worldwide deal. The debut album "Second War In Heaven (1999), recorded at the famous Woodhouse-Studios in Hagen, Germany, achieved best press feedback across Europe (don't even talk 'bout the US...). Jack Frost was then chosen by Metalium, first to help the band during their European tour as the replacement for their guitarist Chris Caffery (busy with recordings for Savatage), then finally replacing him as the new guitarist in Metalium, after Chris had left the band. Even if Jack's job was now multiplied, still the band's second release "City Of Lost Souls (2000) was powerful, yet beautiful-sounded and contained a first-class Exciter cover of the "Pounding Metal anthem. The band lost frontman Bobby Lucas following this release but filled the gap quickly with former Crimson Glory vocalist Wade Black, prior to the release of the 3rd album, "'Xiled To Infinity And One (featuring another pleasant cover of  Grim Reaper's "See you in Hell track). But it was James Rivera, a veteran of high contour acts such as Helstar, Destiny's End and Flotsam & Jetsam that fronted Seven Witches for their July appearance at the 'Classic Metal Fest II' in Cleveland, Ohio and the "approaching album "Passage To The Other Side (now including a cover version of Def Leppard's "Wasted NWOBHM oldie).
Five years after the "Second War In Heaven LP, all seven of the damn Witches carry on performing up to what the soul orders, the mind codes and the heroes of the past declare. Recorded at the Mix-O-Lydian NJ studios, this heavy and powerful, harmonized guitar-frenzied album is key-dominated by Jack Frost's rapid yet "secure riffing attacks. I won't chat that long about the rhythm section's duties here, since everything rolls on as "requested. The whole "instrumental-ed part of the CD carries on first-class established, "persuading the average metalhead - listener familiar to the band's sound paying homage to the classic Priest/(Cris Oliva - era) Savatage "jingles. Let tracks like the opening title "Metal Asylum, the rapid-fired "Fires Below or most parts of the 8-piece concept track "Jacob be the proof... So, last but not least, Mr. James Rivera steps forward. I adore his full-respect history in the legends Helstar, I admire his vocal abilities in the two Destiny's End releases but... shit, don't wanna say something bad, really don't... In my ears he's more near to the 90's Halford expressions than ever before. In many tracks it seems as if he's acting rather strange, "refusing to drive his voice to his familiar high-pitched full-feeling paths, remaining somewhat "trapped in trying to prove he's in-fashion. Hey James, you don't have to prove anything - we can clearly see it in Circles - you're a vocal idol for all of us. I repeat, nothing of the above should be taken as a minus for the whole album, because in general James Rivera "lands-off the band endlessly supporting Jack's gratis playing. Still, for some the difference is tiny, for others maybe it means something more (especially, those who have also checked James' latest project "Distant Thunder and read some of his latest interviews 'bout his likes and dislikes in the Metal sound today + his opinion now for the classic Helstar sound)...
Fuck... "Year Of The Witch is a great, straight 80's inspired Metal album that will fill your ears with lots of quality well-performed music. But, for me, 90% of my opinion is fixed on Jack Frost's real Metal instincts and (cap)abilities. Well done - again - Jack & co, carry on!