It’s always possible to use different musical ideas to improve musical works into known and eroded Metal genres. It’s not a matter of following models or not, but to dare to try something different and unexpected, even with the fans trying to limit their own tastes and opinions sometimes (the blame lies in some musicians that think they’re divinities to impose their opinions and turn them into models). And one unusual idea is what is presented on “Wrath of the Witch”, the new album of the German Death Metal rippers CORROSIVE. The unexpected and untraditional feature of the album is on its concept: it’s a conceptual release, or in other words, the songs and lyrics are telling a central story, what demands a lot of the musicians. And they can’t be faced only as one more traditional Death Metal act, because their musical work is rich in ambiences, arrangements and subjective melodies, complex and full of emotions. It can be said as a ‘Death Metal Opera’ as well due the presence of many guests to create different characters of the story as well, so expect the unexpected from the album. And it’s really amazing, full of unusual ideas on the songs.

The production worked on a form to give the album the Death Metal trademark sonority, with the brutal and distorted aspects being clear. On the other hand it depicts worries to allowing the band (and its guests) to express things in the most understandable way possible, so no one will have problems to assimilate the album. The artwork of Simon “Totleben” Bossert is really somber and beautiful, depicting what the songs stand for. And as guests, a legion of singers to depict each character: Eva Schmidt (NIHIL), Dirk Weiss (WARPATH, SACRIFIRE), Sabina Classen (HOLY MOSES), Andreas Jäger (HYEMS), Andreas “Gerre” Geremia (TANKARD), Kai Wilhelm (FINAL CRY), along with the backing vocals of Axel Müller (BATTLESWORD) and Eva Müller, and the guitar solo of Eiko Truckenbrodt (FINAL CRY) on the guitar solo on “Burning of the Devilish Whore”. More can be found on the album’s technical info.

It would be easier to say that a conceptual album works as one song, so naming this or that track as ‘the highlights’ is a loss of time. But as my editors would rip my lungs out for if I didn’t give the readers some references, “Queen of the Night” (and oppressive song with contrasts between fast and slow tempos, depicting a very good work of bass guitar and drums), “Fairy Tale of a Devilish Witch” (a frantic and intense German Death Metal song with some fiery Death/Thrash Metal hooks, with very good grunts and snarls of the vocals), “A Victim of Black Magic” (excellent guitar riffs with Blackened Death Metal traits in some moments), “Milk Honey Sweet Wine and Blood” (7 minutes of pure bonecrushing brutality tempered by subjective melodies flowing from the guitars arrangements), “End of Your Bloodline” (another songs with rhythmic contrasts and fine double bass parts from the drums), “Buried By Fire” (another fine combination of Death Metal and Death/Thrash Metal elements and hooks), “The White Witch, Saviour of Damned Souls” (there are technical moments contrasting with the brutality and where things changes on this one), and… FUCK IT NOW! The homogeneous level between the songs makes the listening of “Rape of the Witch”, “Hexenhure”, “Shiver of Pleasure”, “Burning of the Devilish Whore” and “Wrath of the Witch” a ‘must do’ thing. So do it!

It’s great to hear a band as CORROSIVE, trying to be itself in a world of clones, and “Wrath of the Witch” is really an amazing release.