WITCH FEVER - ‘CONGREGATION’ ALBUM REVIEW

‘Congregation’ captures what makes Witch Fever one of rock’s most exciting prospects  

With a reputation for producing a riff-heavy sound, Manchester quartet Witch Fever have evolved their unique brand of doom-punk on their first full-length project. The writing sessions for ‘Congregation’ began following the release of last October’s ‘Reincarnate’ EP, and this album sees the band break out of their comfort zone. Daringly experimental with post-punk, nu-metal, sludge, and new wave, the group avoids lingering on one sound for too long. Throughout, their dedication to bursting through genre boundaries marks a stark departure from ‘Reincarnate’, which arguably churned out one delirious punk riff after another.

The band - consisting of Amy Walpole (vocals), Alex Thompson (bass), Alisha Yarwood (guitar), and Annabelle Joyce (drums) - first met through Manchester’s close-knit alt scene. Formed in 2017, the group have spent five years penning feminist anthems in an overwhelmigly male industry. Tracks such as 2020’s ‘In the Resurrect’ explores their rejection of patriarchal beauty ideals via deliberately provocative lyrics: ‘Crisp white gown / dirty now / porcelain skin, got you down on your knees’. 

Since forming, the raging quartet’s sound has grown in intensity and broadened in genre. Opening track and lead single, ‘Blessed Be Thy’, is promptly introduced by a sonic wall of mangled guitars reminiscent of early L7; the song also sees Walpole adopt a defiant riot-grrrl-infused roar midway through. Indeed, it is Walpole in particular who has developed as an artist; while her trademark growls bring Witch Fever’s raucous on-stage energy to the album, her new-found lighter tones (evidenced towards the end of ‘Slow Burn’) express a fresh and commendable depth. At times, her voice resembles a grittier PJ Harvey, representing a new and more accessible era of heavy music. Yet cohesiveness is vital for Witch Fever, meaning long-time fans will not be disappointed by these impressive developments. “I think it still has an essence of some of our older material, so it’s good to bridge that gap”, Thompson says of the new record.  

Produced by Pigs x7’s Sam Grant, ‘Congregation’ exhibits the band at their most musically challenged. ‘Market’ is strong with Warpaint-inspired bass riffs, while the eponymous track sees the instrumentals build from a mellow introduction to a distorted ending. Lyrically too, the album defies past expectations. Drawing largely on Walpole’s time spent growing up in a Charismatic Christian church, Witch Fever’s critical reflection of religion is the most accomplished aspect of ‘Congregation’. Walpole left the church aged 18, claiming that her breaking point was the church’s attitude to mental health:“I think the breaking point was that [the church] didn’t take mental health seriously at all. They were under the impression that you were paying for a sin, or it was your fault”. As a result, ‘Congregation’ is rife with religious symbolism, taking terms with connotations of faith and twisting them according to Walpole’s experiences. “I understand and relate to Amy’s lyrics [...] especially the guilt and the shame that’s placed on women’s bodies and female anatomy in the church historically,” explains her bandmate Thompson. 

Such unapologetic lyricism is also bolstered instrumentally; shorter tracks such as ‘Deadlights’ are notably inspired by classic punk song structures, while ‘Sour’ and ‘Snare’ are dense with loud nu-metal vocal deliveries. In all, this punchy tonality builds up to the alarmingly blunt finale track, ‘12’. The purposefully imperfect song sees the band enter a self-proclaimed “full rage mode”, combining the sound of Walpole yelling over two minutes of forceful punk, with a commandingly fuzzy bass riff.

Ultimately, ‘Congregation’ proves that the noise surrounding Witch Fever is justified. Refusing to be pigeonholed, the album expresses a captivating musical growth from the band’s past efforts. With a focus on variation, this project is anthemic in a way most modern punk just isn’t. 

‘Congregation’ is out via Music For Nations/Sony on 21 October.