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Prelude

by Wytch Hazel

supported by
cory_m
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cory_m Good debut album! Favorite track: Wytch Hazel.
Stephan
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Stephan So the Brits offer robust, down-to-earth rock with a medieval theme. The texts deal with kings, oaths of allegiance and male romance on the battlefield. Dynamic hard rock with folk elements that gets under your skin thanks to its enormous emotionality! Favorite track: More Than Conquerors.
Poesy Rider
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Poesy Rider Bon, j'avoue, celui-là je l'ai acheté pour le revendre plus tard dans ma boutique. Ce n'est pas trop mon truc, même s'il faut reconnaître une belle intégrité tout au long de l'album. à recommander en version vinyl, acheté en France de préférence ! Favorite track: Mighty King.
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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    'Prelude' the lauded debut LP from Lancastrian hard-rockers Wytch Hazel is to be re-released on 12" picture disc format on July 28th 2017

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1.
I need to be filled with the Holy Ghost I’m needing the shields of angel hosts In heavenly armour I’ll enter the realm Today I will fight so mightily Taking my stance more seriously But it is evil I must flee Fight for your life, fight or you’ll die There’s a battle one more battle I will fight to be free Pressing on in the present fight Armed with freedom, truth and with light I’m breaking the chains; I’m letting the captive go free Victory in this war will be found But fighting now must resound I’ll prevail in the final battle There’s a battle left to fight, it’s for freedom I will fight with all my might, to live in freedom
2.
Fight 03:56
We fight to be whole In the cleansing of our soul We’ll fight to be free ‘Gainst a dark hostility He will wear me down His Demons all around And I, I'll endure it all As shields be with me The fight Holy war With our might And what for? Be thou my all? Cry out and you will be saved From this world you've become a slave May my words be of use To save lives and to spread the truth He, He will wear me down His Demons all around And I, I'll endure it all As it is written
3.
Mighty King 04:01
He is mercy and power Everything he sustains Our home and a strong tower He’s the hope we proclaim Sing to Him for He Is rich in mercy How we adore Thee For saving mightily Mighty, saving King We may die but His sacrifice Brought death to life, we shall sing Mighty saving King We will shout and sing louder He is our strength and song Call on Him in the hour For to Him we belong Giver of restoration You are mighty to save There is no condemnation In such a mighty name
4.
All things work together for Those that are called and adore What can separate us from- The first the last the ageless one Who will bring a charge against The chosen you just can’t condemn What can separate us from- The one who was and is and is to come We are more than conquerors None shall steal us from the love of our king We are more than conquerors We have power to stand and overcome Persecution comes our way Death we’re seeing by the day We are more than conquerors When we face deceiving evil ones No angels, demons, life nor death Present, future, height or depth None can separate us from The one who was and is and is to come
5.
Psalm 04:53
I shall not be in want I shall lie down In pastures evergreen I’m safe and sound These waters oh so still reclaim my soul When my walk is pure it makes me whole When I walk through the valley of the dead I’ll fear no evil For I am free with my sweet company, thy rod and staff will lead me A table prepared for me great favour bestowed Around are my enemies yet my cup overflows All the days of my life dwelt in this home Here I diminish strife restore my soul I shall not be in want I shall lie down In pastures evergreen I’m safe and sound These waters oh so still reclaim my soul When my walk is pure it makes me whole
6.
Prelude 04:17
7.
In the spirit I saw a throne through an open door Emerald rainbow adorned the mighty seat that I saw There were thrones they seated elders robed in white Flashes, peals of thunder surround the throne of light He shall reign forever He shall reign forever Creatures worship day and night they never cease Elders fall down cast their crowns at his feet Seven torches blazing with seven spirits in Sea of glass like crystal before the throne of him
8.
Dark Ages 04:06
There is no truth anymore; it seems there is nothing worth fighting for. We are our own deity, fulfilment cannot be found in me We have been deceived, in an age of apathy You can never know, you shall reap what you shall sow We live in the dark ages We live in the dark ages They are so scared to offend, there is no need to pretend the truth of heaven and hell, they have defeated themselves And we have been deceived, by a wave of apathy You can never know, you shall reap what you shall sow So dark, these dark ages These dark, so dark ages
9.
Wytch Hazel 04:34
Waiting so long needing my remedy, So far away so close to my heart, Only one drop now I will take of thee, Dreaming is only the start Into the night, faces look down on me, So very odd - the path that I take, Only one drop - now I will need of thee, Battle on for my own sake Wytch Hazel Wytch Hazel Your spirit is calling me Out of the Darkness I run Feeling alone I’m needing my remedy So far away so close to my heart All that I can now I will take of thee You've been there right from the start Your spirit is calling me Out of the darkness I need you, I want you and My heart will be yours again
10.
Strength is in thee and thy mighty hand Your army will be stronger The fight will not be ‘gainst flesh and blood But evil forces of Lucifer Oh no! The skies around are falling, Oh no! The seas begin to roll Oh no! Take me from the picture Oh no! Before it takes my soul We will be strong, Demons will flee cast out in his name We will stand strong, Satan will fall deceiving no more We will be found with truth as our belt So we can stand firm and None can accuse those found in the king A blameless body of salvation A war of the realms we’re entering in We will advance by the Sword and Shield of faith now we will take up For the flaming darts of the evil one

about

In the parallel universe where the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal happened 600 years early, WYTCH HAZEL are the band of choice for the discerning Plantagenet headbanger. The folk-rock eccentricity of Jethro Tull, the mystical harmony of Wishbone Ash & Thin Lizzy, and the exuberance of prime NWOBHM, immersed in sacred medieval influences via David Munrow's Early Music Consort of London; on their debut long-player Prelude, Lancastrian hard rockers WYTCH HAZEL have happened upon an extremely singular and compelling alchemy.

As a child the band's founder member and guiding light, singer/guitarist Colin Hendra, played drums in brass bands and orchestras, studied classical piano and sang in the school chamber choir, but at 16 the direction of his life changed forever, after a revelation we can all relate to: "Iron Maiden was the main reason I started playing electric guitar," he reveals. "I remember borrowing The Number Of The Beast off a friend and was just blown away – heavy metal was an obsession from that point on!"

Cutting his teeth with Lancaster metalheads Lake Of Fire, Colin discovered sacred vocal music and medieval dance through his college music studies. This, he says, "gave me the distinct vision for the band, its name and image," and lo WYTCH HAZEL was born in early 2011. The quartet released a two-track demo the same year, followed by a couple of seven-inch splits, an appearance at the Swedish festival Muskelrock, and the four-track EP The Truth in 2012. This noble artefact garnered quite a buzz on the UK HM underground, securing WYTCH HAZEL a support slot at Manilla Road's first ever UK live show and was later reissued along with their debut demo as a mini album on High Roller Records.

Although visual presentation is important to WYTCH HAZEL - "I would define our look as ‘battle ready’!" says Colin of the band's rustic swashbuckler stage clothes; "Our performance is like a musical fight!" - the priorities are clear. "The songwriting is our thing, that's what we major in," Colin asserts. "In my life that's what I'm best at, that's what I'm most passionate about. But you've also got to record that well, with clarity, and signing to Bad Omen has been a really big thing for us. This album is a massive breakthrough."

To capture that clarity with sumptuous atmospheric results, Bad Omen honcho Will Palmer sent WYTCH HAZEL to the renowned rural retreat at Foel Studio in Wales, engaging ex-Purson multi-instrumentalist Ed Turner as producer. "Will and Ed were at one of our first shows," recalls Colin, "and Ed said to Will 'So when are you going to sign them? Because I'll do the album!' This was back in 2011, but I think that was always their plan! Having that outside perspective has been really good for us. Ed's very 60s/70s-minded in terms of sound, which is what we wanted and needed. When it comes to tone, amps and guitars are really the more important ingredient – old cranked Marshall amps are where it’s at!"

Accordingly, Prelude is defined by its stately duelling guitars and blissful expressive solos in rousing tunes like infectious opener Freedom Battle, anthemic gallop More Than Conquerors and their fist-throwing eponymous singalong. There's tasteful organ and resonant acoustic guitar, but no gaudy medieval ornamentation distracting from the album's purity and focus. "For me, influence has to be within the composition, within the very make-up of the songwriting," Colin asserts. "We do a lot of the Picardy third - a song in a minor key that ends in the major key - that's a real medieval French technique. I don't know of many other bands with that approach."

That's not the only way WYTCH HAZEL stand out from the modern herd. Although we've been saturated with the cartoon diabolism of the 'occult rock' revival, no other band has dared to offer the other side of the story. "I play in a heavy metal band and I write songs about God - it's actually quite a rebellious thing!" chuckles Colin. "Some people found our EP offensive. You can mention God, but when you start singing 'Praise be to God' it gets a little heavier." Whatever your spiritual position, for the creation of Prelude, all praise be to WYTCH HAZEL.

credits

released April 22, 2016

Colin Hendra - vocals/guitar
Neil Corkery - bass
Jack Spencer - drums
Matt Gatley - guitar

Recorded at Foel Studio, Wales
Produced & mixed by Ed Turner
Engineered by Tom Wild

Artwork: Burning Moon
Photos: Ester Segarra

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Wytch Hazel Lancaster, UK

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