Witchfynde: A band that I wouldn’t go so far as to brand “obscure”, but you certainly never hear mentioned as frequently as Iron Maiden, Saxon, Diamond Head, or others in the NWOBHM. Furthermore, the band themselves predated the movement they’re associated with, forming way back in 1973. Of course, Witchfynde would spend the better part of the ’70s plagued by personnel changes and honing their craft, before ultimately striking out on their own in 1980 with Give ‘Em Hell. The three albums that followed, although not equally as memorable or consistent as their debut, all boasted their own unique character, and separated Witchfynde from the rest of the NWOBHM pack. In honor of these lords of sin and their wicked legacy, here are our Top 10 Witchfynde Songs.
10. “Hall of Mirrors”
The final album of Witchfynde’s original run, 1984’s Lords of Sin is an oft maligned collection of songs that gets slagged as dated at best (thrash was now up and running) and inconsistent at worst. Truth be told, from front to back, it is a bit of a rocky listen. However, the highs peppered about are as compelling as any of the classics that preceded it. Take for example “Hall of Mirrors”. Witchfynde pairs an archetypal traditional metal riff, characteristic of what one would expect from Priest or Accept at the time, with their signature brand of occult tinged lyricism. The end result is a cut that’s as catchy as it is otherworldly, and would’ve made a more fitting single than the doomy “Conspiracy” (A solid song in its own right, but far from accessible).
9. “Stagefright”
How close to the edge of doom metal can a band teeter before fully surrendering themselves to the power of the riff? I don’t know, but the title track of Witchfynde’s sophomore album sure comes close to answering this age old question. If it weren’t for the faintest strains of hooks and melody hanging on for dear life, “Stagefright” would be about as close to unadulterated doom metal as one could imagine in 1980. It’s slow, ominous, lumbering, and Sabbathian in disposition, lying closer to the Sabs’ Ozzy-fronted heyday than the “new and improved” Dio-helmed incarnation of the band. Surely, an old time doper or two lit a spliff in rejoice upon this one desecrating their sound system!
8. “Cry Wolf”
Witchfynde didn’t just talk the talk; they walked the walk. Whereas a band like Demon would bombard the listener with occult imagery and lyricism, only to sound sonically closer to Foreigner than Sabbath (still awesome though!), Witchfynde’s music matched the vibes of their aesthetic, especially “Cry Wolf”. This eerie, NWOBHM firecracker rages about with the same devilish ferocity as fellow English hellions, Angel Witch. It’s uptempo, but never crossing the threshold of speed metal, while the guitars, mired in murk and gloom, never cross the threshold of doom metal. It’s quite the unique concoction, and it’s solely Witchfynde’s.
7. “The Devil’s Playground”
Following the largely accessible Stagefright (1980), Witchfynde would return to their occult roots for their third album, Cloak & Dagger (1983). A lot had changed in the three years since we last heard from these heavy metal sorcerers. For one, acts like Venom and Mercyful Fate had taken the demonic themes of Witchfynde’s early work to unparalleled heights. The latter proved crucially influential, with the opening “The Devil’s Playground” sounding eerily similar to Nuns Have No Fun era Mercyful Fate, even down to the vocal stylings of the newly enlisted Luther Beltz, and belt he could! If we were to make a playlist of Mercyful Fate/King Diamond worship, this would have to kick it off as one of the earliest examples, if not thee earliest example, of such.
6. “Leaving Nadir”
I’m not sure which podcast/video it was from, but recently, I came across a clip of the omnipresent (or so it seems) Martin Popoff waxing poetic on progressive rock’s influence on the NWOBHM, which is a topic I’ll explore in further depth one of these days. A prime example of this is “Leaving Nadir”. Amidst the brutish, hard-nosed riff-fests that dominate Witchfynde’s debut, Give ‘Em Hell (1980), is this 6 minute early prog metal epic, that owes more to the sounds of the early to mid ’70s than what was happening in England at the time. While the heavy moments are most certainly kickass, they’re framed by fantastical lyricism, flanged guitars, and tasty instrumentation, making this a unique NWOBHM curio.
5. “Stab in the Back”
As I hinted at when recounting “Hall of Mirrors”, Lords of Sin is an album that, for what it’s worth, is extremely reflective of its era. It’s the sound of a NWOBHM band desperately searching for identity in an age when their very scene is on its last breaths, aided solely by life support. The result, again, are songs that tend to ape the major label fare of acts like Priest, Saxon, and Accept in tone and demeanor, but when they do ascend to that next level, do so with the finesse of these aforementioned bands. The opening “Stab in the Back” fits this description to a tee. Fast, energetic, and laden with hooks, “Stab in the Back” is a simplistic traditional metal anthem that still hits home to this day.
4. “Ready to Roll”
There are some songs in the history of music that can only be described as “cool”, nothing more, nothing less. You can’t create cool. You can’t fake it either. It can only happen naturally, and metal is rife with cool moments. Motörhead’s “Iron Horse / Born to Lose”, Black Sabbath’s “Lady Evil”, and Judas Priest’s interpretation of “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)” immediately come to mind. I’d file Witchfynde’s “Ready to Roll” in this category as well. Much like their American counterparts in Y&T, The Rods, and Riot, Witchfynde seamlessly blends the metal ethos of the ’70s with the soon to be established conventions of the ’80s in a manner that’s both trailblazing and, you guessed it, cool. Also, get a load of that FAT lead riff. Can you dig it?!
3. “I’d Rather Go Wild”
As I’m sure I’ve stated in past lists, there’s a big difference between “favorite” and “greatest”. If this were my Top 10 “Favorite” Witchfynde Songs, no doubt about it, “I’d Rather Go Wild” would come out on top. It just so happens to be one of the strongest songs in the band’s catalog as well. Its anti-authoritarian spirit speaks to the heart of every tried and true headbanger, and that screamed chorus…yes, you know the one I’m talking about. Go ahead. Do it from your cubicle right now. Nobody’s paying attention. Matter of fact, tell you what; I’ll do it with you. On the count of three, 1, 2, 3: “I’d rather go wiiillllddd. I’D RATHER GO WIIIIILLLDDD!!!” See how fun that was?! And Barb in HR was too busy listening to Taylor Swift on her AirPods to even notice.
2. “Moon Magic”
It didn’t occur to me until penning this article that Witchfynde may very well have been the first NWOBHM act to pull the “We’re more than just a metal band” card, doing so in the midst of the scene’s halcyon days in 1980. Hell, Tygers of Pan Tang didn’t hop this wagon until ’82, and Leppard until ’83. Yet here was Witchfynde, going full technicolor era Blue Öyster Cult, on their sophomore album, Stagefright. Sure, you had your hellish moments, like the aforementioned title track. On the flip side was a song like “Moon Magic”, which lie somewhere between the NWOBHM at its most adventurous and American AOR at its scuzziest (think Journey’s “La Do Da”). Point being, most of the NWOBHM crop who never made it past the 7 inch stage would sell their souls for a song as brilliant as “Moon Magic”, and yet Witchfynde had one greater up their sleeve…
1. “Give ‘Em Hell”
If this were a list of the “Top 10 NWOBHM Anthems”, this one would have to make the cut. “Give ‘Em Hell” is peak NWOBHM, savage and youthful with a simple, yet cranium-searing riff, devilish lyrics, raw production, and a take no prisoners attitude. One can’t help but imagine a young Lars Ulrich and his acne-faced cohorts, pounding beers and banging their heads to this one alongside the likes of Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” and Angel Witch’s “Angel Witch”, drawing up plans to take their metallic maneuvers, double the tempo, and change metal forever. 45 years on, and “Give ‘Em Hell” still gives hell, reinforcing the raw power of metal and standing tall as Witchfynde’s finest hour. “Shout it out!”
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