Forty years is a time that many bands can only ever dream of attaining and it’s only the worthiest of them all that are able to continue on after such a stretch of time. Angel Witch is a name that really diehard fans of the heavy metal world will know by heart, but, otherwise, it wouldn’t be far off to say that these guys don’t get as much recognition as they should. Such a mammoth act should be heralded with loads of respect, and if they needed any more excellence to prove themselves it’s with their brand new effort that they do it gloriously and without breaking a sweat.

It doesn’t take a genius to do some very light researching to find that Angel Witch has actually gone on a few brief hiatuses throughout their career, but they’ve been so brief they’re hardly worth mentioning especially considering just how excellent their career has been in its entirety. Their journey is one that any person who can consider themselves a fan of heavy metal should experience at least once given how since the beginning Angel Witch has been, and it’s with “Angel of Light” that they’re reasserting their place as one of the reigning kings of the style. There isn’t much within the confines of this album that we haven’t seen done before which can be boring for some people, but Angel Witch are real masters of the craft and, thus, bring tremendous quality to every single note that they throw down with every track of “Angel of Light” providing a grand lesson in heavy metal whose grandeur can’t be underestimated. It’s with riffs abound and musicianship that only a band like this can execute time after time that the entirety of “Angel of Light” is a destination that every modern fan of heavy metal needs to partake in as has plenty of the excellence that we’ve come to expect with the genre. But it’s with nearly unparalleled skill and an understanding of the style that most can only dream of ascertaining that Angel witch does no less than dominate for this whole record that grants us a listen that’s sure to make one hell of an impact upon its arrival.

It’s often that I consider who will carry on the torch of heavy metal when the bigger bands decide to call it, but that’s almost always forgetting the passion that many of the larger acts still hold in their hearts for this music, and Angel Witch is a brilliant example of just that. There’s much to delve into for the excellence that “Angel of Light” brings to the table, and I hope that every fan of heavy metal has a chance to bask in it.

“Angel of Light” releases on November 1st via Metal Blade Records!

PRE-ORDER “Angel of Light” via multiple sources here.

LISTEN to singles from “Angel of Light” on Bandcamp here.

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FOLLOW Angel Witch on Twitter: @angelwitchuk