Canadian hypno-metal masters Spell are a band who continues to grow both creatively and aesthetically with each release. We’ve been onboard for two of their releases (2020’s Opulent Decay and 2022’s Tragic Magic), utterly enthralled by their singular blend of ’70s metal worship, mind-expanding psychedelia, classic prog heroics, and AOR-driven hooks. No two songs on these releases sounded alike, which was a big part of the appeal for yours truly, especially in a world where so many bands stick to textbook-derived formulas. Upon the announcement of their fifth full length, Wretched Heart, it left myself and many others wondering, “Where will Spell go next?”
Well, upon the release of this here promotional image, it helped give an idea of where this band was headed; Spell were going goth. Pale makeup, blackened eyes, flowers and burning candles: Yeah, this was either going to suck horrendously or serve as another intriguing chapter in the ever-growing Spell mythos, with absolutely zero in-between. Luckily for us, Wretched Heart, the first album of Spell’s “goth era” (if we’re to brand it as such) falls into the latter. Even still, it’s not as overtly goth as say Type O Negative or even Idle Hands or Unto Others or whatever the fuck they’re called these days. The goth leanings on here are more reminiscent of the guitar-driven Sisters of Mercy offshoot, The Mission, and the Fire of Unknown Origin era of Blue Öyster Cult, one of Spell’s biggest inspirations from day one.
From a songwriting perspective, the tunes that make up Wretched Heart are Spell’s catchiest and most compelling to date, with a good half of this album being more than deserving of mass radio airplay. Cuts like the opening “Dark Inertia”, “Lilac”, “Exquisite Corpse”, and “Savage Scourge” nail this gothic metallized AOR sound, coming off just as catchy as fellow melodic metallers, Sumerlands, as well as current heavyweight arena rock champs, Ghost. Ideally, your average TikTok scrolling teenage mall goth would be just as invested in this type of tuneage as they would that from the mind of Papa Emeritus *insert number here*, but I digress.
For the “non-radio friendly” half of Wretched Heart, Spell dust off their denim and leather duds, reminding the crowd that’s been with them from the get-go, “Hey, don’t let the fancy schmancy makeup job fool you. We’re still one of you!” Indeed, “Unquiet Graves” grooves around like a lost Mk. III era Purple song with a zombified twist. “Oubliette” serves as the textbook NWOBHM headbanger, emphasizing breakneck tempos and ripping riffs, and “Iron Teeth” sinks its fangs into us with a freakazoid art metal bite, reminiscent of the Professor Black-fronted Aktor, albeit with a melodramatic twist. Come the closing title cut, Spell fuses all of these elements together into one ethereally cacophonic finale.
If the incoming sunny weather and warm temperatures are not your bag, Spell’s Wretched Heart will satisfy your vampiric soul. It’s got class, atmosphere, melody, and just enough metallic oomph to remind you that this is indeed still a metal release. In this regard, it’s also a metal album you can safely play around your normie friends without scaring them off, because if Ghost has proven anything, it’s that even the most macabre of lyrical content can find its way onto mainstream radio if accompanied by an earworm hook. It’d be damn cool if Spell achieved similar notoriety, as they’re most certainly deserving of such.
8 out of 10
Label: Bad Omen Records
Genre: Gothic Metal
For fans of: Ghost, Sumerlands, Blue Öyster Cult
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