WYTCH HAZEL - "Freedom Battle"

Wytch Hazel is such a fascinating case of a band working for a particularly outstanding aesthetic: authentically-made, hand-crafted, genuine classic heavy metal (or vintage heavy metal, proto heavy metal, classic hard rock, if you will) big on melody and on lyrics to raise the spiritual condition of the listener. The 2012 debut EP The Truth made some people do a double take and begin to glimpse that Wytch Hazel is something very different.

"Freedom Battle" opens the 2016 full-length called Prelude. From the start, there's just something special about the sound of Wytch Hazel guitar melodies, the classic and classy, just an overall pleasing sound, with a pinch of melancholy woven into the vibe.

Wytch Hazel

Prelude

Bad Omen Records

April 22nd, 2016

1. Freedom Battle 05:09

2. Fight 03:56

3. Mighty King 04:01

4. More than Conquerors 04:42

5. Psalm 04:53

6. Prelude 04:17

7. He Shall Reign 04:56

8. Dark Ages 04:06

9. Wytch Hazel 04:34

10. We Will Be Strong 05:59

total time 46:33

To me, Wytch Hazel is a bit of a mystery; it is often difficult for me to pinpoint exactly how they capture such a specific sound, but it works so well. In my view, the production on the first track, "Freedom Battle," is such a good presentation of what's going on. It's not the normal mechanized sound of contemporary rock and metal. When I hear it, the song stands out because of the guitar-led feel of classic melodies—maybe a bit folky, or maybe it's a sense of "old, old" melodies—rather than loudness or aggression. I like the uniquely melodic and gentle singing. There is a certain liturgical tone that sets the band apart, and I think they are doing things with melody that are different and classic at the same time.

How about that scream right before the guitar solo! How does it manage to be so high, and fit in so well, and not sound annoying? I don't know, but it works. The solo is rather nice, of course. Top-notch, but man, there is melody all over, and as the song goes towards the end, the melodies get extended and emphasized. So good.

Lyrically, there is no mistaking the band: "There’s a battle left to fight, it’s for freedom. I will fight with all my might, to live in freedom." This freedom comes for the soul that is "filled with the Holy Ghost" and that is "armed with freedom, truth and with light."

And with that, things got underway! When I get my act together, I will come back to the next song, "Fight," which I have been listening to, but the truth is I am not ready to go into it right now.

Prelude by Wytch Hazel

Wytch Hazel - Freedom Battle, LIVE @ The Platform, Morecambe, 07.02.2023

Wytch Hazel - Freedom Battle (acoustic version)

Freedom Battle - Wytch Hazel (Lyric Video)