Witchfynde came into existence around 1974 in Derbyshire, England. According to co-founder/guitarist Montalo, "it was really an amalgamation of two bands". Montalo and his schoolmates had their own band, but he was discovered by the members of another band (drummer Gra Scoresby and bassist Richard Blower) when he was playing a gig in his hometown. They invited the guitarist to join them, and since Montalo thought that their band "seemed to have a lot more passion and direction" than the one he was in, he ended up accepting their invitation. The original line-up would soon change though. Blower left the bass position and was replaced by Andro Coulton. Steve Bridges (who was a friend and "workmate" of Coulton's) also became the vocalist. Witchfynde then went on to do a series of live performances (some of which were supporting Thin Lizzy and Def Leppard). In 1979, the band released the first single, Give 'Em Hell. This foreshadowed the 1980 release of their first, full-length album (lauding the same title as the single), which was recorded at Fairview Studios in Hull. As was the case with various bands from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene, the members from Witchfynde had to delve into their own pockets and wallets to finance Give 'Em Hell. A small record label known as Rondelet eventually came around wanting to sign them and release their album. The group gave in and accepted the label's request (which according to Montalo later turned out to be a major mistake, due to Rondelet's avarice and misdirection).
Upon first glance at the album artwork of Give 'Em Hell, individuals unacquainted with Witchfynde may be led to assume that the music contained on this record is "extreme" and satanic in nature, due to the crude illustration that portrays a long-haired, horned, half goat/half homosapien creature with bloodshot, crimson eyes and a mischievous smirk on its face (this artwork could have very well been an inspiration for Venom and their album covers of Welcome To Hell and Black Metal. Or at least, that's what it reminds one of. Then again, it could've also just been purely coincidental). Always remember: Don't ever judge an album solely by its cover, as appearances can be deceiving. Witchfynde may have presented themselves with pseudo-satanic and occult imagery, but they were not really that dark or extreme. While this British group sometimes dabbled in the occult, their music has more in league with traditional Heavy Metal bands such as Saxon and Diamond Head than it does with "First Wave" Black Metal entities such as Venom, Hellhammer and Bathory. Witchfynde seems to have been influenced by a number of classic Hard Rock/Heavy Metal groups from the 1970s including Black Sabbath, Rush, UFO and Deep Purple (Montalo has also cited The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Uriah Heep, Mott The Hoople, Thin Lizzy and Trapeze as other influences). The sound quality on Give 'Em Hell is murky and a tad raw, contaminated with a haze of reverb, which I dig. Granted, it's not the best production, but neither is it utterly poor.
Let's move on into the album now. Witchfynde gets the ball moving with "Ready To Roll", a testosterone-injected, anthemic rocker that occasionally borders on proto-Speed Metal. Steve Bridges usually sings in a "sleazy" Rock 'N' Roll kind of way (don't expect to hear any theatrical Rob Halford-type falsettos coming from him). He really does not have much to offer in terms of vocal range or ability, but he does know how to make the best of what he has (in the process proving to be quite a likeable front-man). "The Divine Victim" appears to be a tribute to Joan Of Arc. It is much slower in tempo featuring chugging, jagged guitar riffs. One of the most distinctive songs here is perhaps "Leaving Nadir", which reminds me of the Progressive Rock lords from Canada, Rush. The acoustic harmonies in particular sound as if they could have been written and performed by Alex Lifeson himself, as they boast a strong resemblance to those found in Rush classics such as "Here Again" or "Closer To The Heart". It later gets darker and heavier with its occult lyrics and a barrage of driving guitar riffs from Montalo. In the liner notes of the 2004 Lemon Records reissue, "Leaving Nadir" is cited to have been a personal favorite of Metallica's perennial drummer, Lars Ulrich.
"Of a time that now is clear to me
I was playing in the mind of a man
Who sat in company with the devil
He's trying to voice all from below
Selfish spirits workin' for him, for his soul
To fall free and pass in hell"
Contrary to its suggestive title, "Gettin' Heavy" is actually not very heavy at all (if anything, it's more on the groovy side of things). Why this tune reminds me of 1970s Glam Rock groups such as Sweet, Slade and Queen, I am not entirely certain. What I am certain of though is that it is always a delight to hear Steve's zany performance here (i.e "Things were gettin' heeaaavyyyyy!!!!!! Oh! Oh! Heavy!"). The hardest-hitting song arrives in the form of the blazing "Give 'Em Hell" (which is not only a favorite of Montalo, but mine as well). This has got to be the best and heaviest song on the entire album. It's just ripe with energy, containing some great drumming by Gra Scoresby. The drum set that he utilizes has a weighty, corpulent texture to it and a vintage '70s sound (similar to that of John Bonham in Led Zeppelin or Cozy Powell in Rainbow). One thing to note here is the main recurring guitar riff. If you listen to it closely, it might sound somewhat familiar. You may or may not have heard some rendition of it in Motley Crüe's 1983 "She's Got Looks That Kill". Well, Give 'Em Hell was recorded three years before in 1980, so it's more likely than not that they flat-out ripped this guitar riff off from Witchfynde. Anyhow, there is also a sludgy breakdown that occurs in the middle, which evokes Black Sabbath (while not downright copying anything). Another memorable and comical thing about the title track is Steve and how he shrieks like a wild girl near the end of the choruses.
"If the powers that be tell you
There never were three wise men
Then you'd better believe it's true
They won't ask you to come again"
On "Unto The Ages Of Ages" Witchfynde attempts to write a Progressive Rock composition of epic and experimental proportions. While it feels a tad bit out of place, the result is still mostly satisfactory. To get an idea of what this sounds like if you have never heard it before, just imagine Rush, Black Sabbath and Amon Düül II collaborating together (something like "Unto The Ages Of Ages" would most likely be the obtained product). Finally, "Pay Now - Love Later" is a humorous track involving a prostitute who demands that she get paid first before her client can receive any of her services. The guitar licks from Montalo are catchy, sounding a little similar to Fastway's "Say What You Will" (which came out three years later.... did yet another band slightly rip off some guitar riffs from Witchfynde?! Wouldn't doubt it). Andro Coulton is at his best here with all of those plodding basslines. The 2004 Lemon Records reissue of Give 'Em Hell contains three bonus tracks - "The Devil's Gallop" happens to be nothing but a joke that was directed at a Heavy Metal magazine critic named Geoff Barton (who is actually the person that provides the liner notes on this reissue). A scratchy recording of the Dick Barton: Secret Agent theme plays while in the background members of the band can be heard saying, "This one's for you Geoff. How many stars? 2? Go on - Hit him!" (Flatulence, laughter and punches being thrown can also be heard amongst all the ruckus). According to Barton, guitarist Montalo always pleaded and requested that he take the time to come and check out Witchfynde at one of their live gigs. Barton always put them off by making all sorts of shallow excuses (until one day when he finally decided to give them a chance. Long story short: He ended up becoming a fan).
"Tetelestai" is a great, eight-minute song whose guitar melodies were also most likely borrowed by Guns 'N' Roses. Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow listened to these and then incorporated them into their colossal hit, "Sweet Child O' Mine". While I am not sure what exact year "Tetelestai" was recorded (unfortunately, I can't find much information on the web and the booklet makes no mention of this either), I do believe it was somewhere around the time of their debut or second album (it has a similar sound and production). Furthermore, by 1984 Witchfynde had already disbanded (reuniting again in 1999 after 15 long years), and the GNR song wasn't released until 1987. The two songs are still vastly different from each other, but there's no denying that the main guitar melodies are nearly identical. The final bonus track is "Wake Up Screaming", which I consider to be something along the lines of "Blackened Heavy Metal". Out of all the tracks present here, this is the most sinister in tone. Definitely another personal favorite and really should've been included on the debut (if it had already recorded by then, that is). Although Give 'Em Hell isn't generally considered to be a classic from the NWOBHM scene, it is nonetheless a competent obscurity. Witchfynde would release a couple more records (Stagefright in 1981 followed by Cloak And Dagger in 1983) before they would disappear for a decade and a half (only to emerge again in two different forms and then disappear again once more), but this was surely their finest hour. ... See More
