VOID WITCH is an Austin-based collective.  Self-releasing their first offering, the band is banking on the attention thus gained to elevate their career to the next level.  Is this effort amenable to growing a proper fan base?

The album begins with "My Coffin Overfloweth," a six-minute and thirty-two-second track.  It is an unfortunately sluggish start, though.  One would think that a band drawing influence from Death and Doom would incorporate the more abrasive, lively riffs first.  Without a fortuitous beginning, it is an arduous task to get into the vibe though the song does rap up toward the end.  The catchy ending causes one to wonder: why didn't they employ such tactics to ensnare the listener from the beginning?

The following song, "Asphyxiation Ritual," has a distinctly more rapid pace than its predecessor.  While this lands a bit more attention to the effort, it is hard to tell which direction the music is going.  Often, this is an admirable trait, but when trying to identify a new band's sound, it turns into a major stumbling block.

The production certainly does not help VOID WITCH's situation.  Clearly, the band was on a budget in the studio.  With a sound so entrenched in an old school oeuvre, one would expect the guitar tone to be bigger and more engaging.  Furthermore, there is zero bass that is audible, and the vocals offer very little variety.

This is VOID WITCH's eponymous release, but it sounds more like a demo recording.  Fans of Old School Death Metal could possibly get into this though unlike a band such as INCANTATION's professional blending of the two aforementioned genres, VOID WITCH does not offer such enriching dynamics.  One can think of an album like a story with a beginning, middle, climax, denouement, and conclusion.  Any great narrative, though, is polished to engage the reader/listener by offering peaks and valleys.  The band is certainly talented, but this self-titled release contains very little than can be broadly recommended.  Where is Death Metal going with countless bands seeking to emulate the early '90s? Regression.