When I think of the term "witchrider" it invokes a certain darkness—you know, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, the night hag, witch riding. Austrian Stoner Rockers, WITCHRIDER, indicate that's what they had in mind when they selected their name. Granted they experimented with several other names, but WITCHRIDER is where they landed. And it's not a bad name. In fact, I quite like it, especially for a metal band and while WITCHRIDER is not a metal band, they are Stoner Rock which is adjacent . . . kind of. On August 15, 2025, they released their latest album, Metamorph, on Fuzzorama Records. It's a heavy-ish offering, notable for its melodic, contemplative take on desert rock.

Metamorph comprises six tracks for about 24 minutes of playtime. To level set expectations: Not very heavy, not very dark. Dan Doringer (vocals, guitars) alludes to album's the "direct-raw-power of the drums," "heavy guitar sounds," and "wall of sound," but rather than coming at us with raw aggression, the tenor is more even keeled and harmonious. We're talking slightly down-tuned guitar-biased rhythms, clean vocals, mid-tempo heavy rock here. As far as lyrics, the album explores "different kinds of personal struggles and emotional states that some might be familiar with, topped off with an extra portion of Fuzz." So, yeah, less about succubi and incubi and more about some honest reflection on grown-up life things—which can often be more haunting than night terrors.   

Track one, "Used to be King," is a solid rocker with a sobering message which reminds me, at least thematically, of Bonnie Raitt's "Used to Rule the World." Quite liked this one. "Hold my Mind" is another standout track. Couldn't help but to relate this song to the saying "hold my beer" but in this instance Daniel asks us to "Hold my mind, fuck it up and tell me it's okay" . . . which is kind of similar. 

Last on my notable list is "Wake Me Up" which to my estimation is the heaviest track on the album—it also gives a nod to the band's moniker. I like the desperate insistence of this track which Sorger nicely paces out with some killer drum work.  

The album closes with a meandering acoustic number which makes me a little sad, but then again this is a rock band and not a metal band so not out of bounds there. Altogether, Metamorph is a solid offering from WITCHFINDER. Metalheads may appreciate it, especially those into Stoner and Psych; Rock fans will have zero reasons to object and plenty of reasons to approve.