Fresh talent is always something that has kept the underground moving forward. Whether it comes in the form of an envelope-pushing act or one that seeks the perpetuate the greatness of what’s come before in straightforward reverence via imitation, it would be a vicious understatement to say that there isn’t loads of talent out there in the thicket of the underground that’s yearning to be discovered. Of course, not all of it breaks the mold and climbs the ranks to any sort of notoriety. As such, those that lay forth foundational works that can really be built off of are glorious sights in of themselves. With its own debut, this Polish trio shows us how it’s done.

While there it’s almost always fascinating to watch a band do its best to try and break new ground immediately upon its debut creation, there’s never any shame in keeping things familiar in more than one way. There’s still plenty of glory to be had in efforts that know precisely what they’re trying to channel even if such an effort comes across half-baked as it can still ooze ambition and passion in every given moment to make for a performance that really feels genuine. Putting one foot in front of the other, it’s throughout the whole of “Mountain Knows” that Witch Hound does just that and manages to hit the nail right on the head in more than a few instances. Each of these eight tracks does old school metal proud. Pulling greatly from the traditional reaches of doom and heavy metal, “Mountain Knows” is appropriately heavy with loads of melody laced throughout its entirety as captivatingly smooth vocals guide us through to show us the vast arsenal of excellence that Witch Hound already boasts and utilizes incredibly well. There are moments where the songwriting feels clunky and oftentimes it feels like the song as a whole feels a tad rugged in certain portions, but, all-in-all, I fail to see how “Mountain Knows” shouldn’t be hailed as a stellar victory and a wondrous first step for Witch Hound. A debut that many could only ever dream of, the future is exceedingly bright for this trio.

A calculated breed of heaviness and more than enough know-how of the style at play to through their weight around in many different forms, it’s the whole of “Mountain Knows” that Witch Hound dominates with it virtually being the whole of the record that leaves the listener frothing for more. We’re lucky enough to live in a time where there’s hordes of burgeoning talent ready to take the underground by storm. It would be remiss of any of us not to include Witch Hound in that conversation from here on out.

LISTEN to “Mountain Knows” on Bandcamp here.

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