Angel Witch

You just cringe when you think about these NWOBHM survivors, all post-traumatic and still trying, the Metallica covers paying the bills, but that's about it. With Angel Witch, it's not like when you think about Diamond Head and you just get that physical gnawing in your gut, but it's up there. Because, man, did these guys ever stumble into a great sound once upon a time, but they've never been able to repeat the glory of their debut all those years ago. On this disc, the band do a pretty good job at returning to prime NWOBHM (dig the gallop of "Witching Hour" or the majestic riffing of "Dead Sea Scrolls"), but the vocals, earnest as they may be, come across as hokey. We sit around and give Cauldron the thumbs up for sounding just like this, but when a band that originated the style still sound like this, it kind of stings. I can't quite place why, but it's something to do with the idea of a dude in his late 40s singing like this compared to a dude in his 20s singing like this in homage to another dude in his 20s singing like this so many years ago. Actually, yes, that's precisely it.