This is the fourth album from the Power Metal unit consisting of Jack
Frost (Guitar), Joey Vera (Bass), James Rivera (Vocals) and Brian Craig (Drums). So high quality musicians and people with a lot of experience, and I must say that Passage To The Other Side has developed into my favourite Witches album. The very raw edge that runs through the album, and the dark atmosphere work well together. I will mention most of the albums tracks to make a clear impression of what to expect.
Dance With The Death opens with a dreaming gloomy mood. The song slowly builds and then really goes into pace with a raw guitar riff and some powerful double bass drums.
The song is very Classic Metal in its composition. It has a tight rhythm section and some great fierce singing from James Rivera. A cool song filled with great guitar passages and a solid tight bass.
One of my favourites is the brilliant grooving
Johnny. The "right in your face approach" simply rules, and the guitar riffing is perfect. The melodic chorus is of very high standard, sung with lots of power and an enchanting rhythm. A song that flows nicely, and which is packed with energy.
Apocalyptic Dreams is a pretty aggressive song, but not as interesting as most of the other songs on the album. The chorus is a bit standard and even though the rhythm is very tight, the song seems to be over pretty fast. The song is just above basic, thanks to its fast and solid fundament.
Betrayed is a very dark and gloomy song. The guitar riff is slow and extremely hard. The drums are very powerful and have a cool grooving edge.
The Lost Horizon displays a brilliant melodic lead melody, something that is not used much, but here it functions as a cool balance to the harder rhythm riff. The songs shifts in tempo and has a pretty melodic chorus.
The musicians all perform very well. I am very satisfied with James' vocals, full of power and energy. The many great guitar riffs, and some cool solos here and there is also a positive element. The drums are performed very tightly, and play an important part in the songs. The bass is extremely raw and fits very well into the rhythm section.
Passage To The Other Side is one of those songs that you just know will be a timeless classic. The atmospheric beginning with an acoustic guitar and a calm bass, joined by James' perfectly emotional vocals is simply stunning. Jack
Frost wrote the song after his brother passed away, and the lyric is fantastic. A very moving song, filled with respect and appreciation.
A genius melodic guitar riff breaks the slow start, and the rhythm is very solid through the song. The slow and technical guitar solo fits perfectly.
The songs feature lyrics in different themes, among them dark mystic stories, feelings of revenge and spirituality.
Overall the album consists of three genius tracks, some pretty high quality ones and a couple above standard. The tight and balanced production fits very well with the raw and dark feeling of the record.
To sum up this is a very powerful and hard album with a consistent high level of intensity.
Written by
Tommy Wednesday, March 12, 2003
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