Photo by Gene Smirnov
Formed in 2017 from the throes of Philadelphia, Witching have emerged as one of the underground’s most exciting bands to watch out for. The band’s sound has evolved into genre-bending, nightmarish, extreme metal that embraces and embodies the fusion of pitch-black intensity through black metal, sludge, post-metal, and more. With a handful of independently released EP’s, singles, and a full length album under their belts, a new lineup featuring Jacqui Powell (vocals), Nate Zagrimanis (guitar), Tatiana Buonassisi (bass), Samantha Hyla (drums), and Hazel Whitman (guitar), Witching are calling out to unify the masses by bludgeoning their way into a world where everything is formulaically stacked against them. Witching is marking their own path and marching head-on into a hellish ouroboros of self-destruction and self-discovery to share triumph and perseverance.
Today, Witching announce their second studio album, and Translation Loss Records debut, Incendium. The album is a merciless assault on feelings of defeat and despair accompanied by total rage – while still maintaining a message of steadfast determination.
“Incendium is Latin for fire, heat, passion, or vehemence. I wrote the music while going through massive reflection and inner change. It was a painful but necessary step in my life, forcing me to cast aside the less obvious things holding me back from unfolding my true self. It’s the concept of a refinement by fire, burning off impurities to get to the gold. We’re no longer quieting the pendulum, we are disrupting it,”
shares guitarist Nate Zagrimanis.
Witching takes their sound to the next level on this seven track release, with energetic black and death metal influenced guitar and bass riffs, and a hypnotically elevated vocal delivery by front woman Jacqui Powell. Powell artfully combines mellifluous croons revealing vulnerability, then dismantles them with juxtaposing and blood curdling, primal screams. There is a duality present in these songs: softness combated with ferociousness, death and rebirth, failure met with tenacity.
Vocalist Jacqui Powell shares, “For years I was fixated on self-destruction – both physically and mentally. Our first album said: ‘Hey, this happened to me.’ Incendium is about saying goodbye to the person that I used to be. I am trying to kill the patterns I’ve developed that enable me to choose a path I don’t want to be on. It feels like saying goodbye to a friend – but that friend is actually myself. I don’t want to celebrate sadness and trauma. That’s what this record is about… Recognizing, validating and grieving whatever sad shit happened, but celebrating that it is strong and powerful to own and confront things. You have to fight for yourself. You can’t let other people do it for you.”
Along with the announcement of Incendium, Witching have also unleashed the first listen to the album by dropping the title track at Decibel Magazine. The 6 minute, war-declaring anthem shows Powell at her most vicious and feral.
Incendium will be released on LP, CD and digital via Translation Loss Records. The album features brand new artwork by Eliran Kantor. Pre-order is available now.
Track listing, album art, album details, pre-order and tour information can be found below.
Album Artwork by Eliran Kantor
In celebration of the release, Witching will embark on their first European tour – playing the sounds of ‘Incendium’ live for the first time. The band are also slotted to play Soulcrusher Festival and the inaugural International Antifascist Blackmetal Convention over the three week excursion. Stateside dates to be announced soon.
European Tour Dates:
28/09/2023 – LILLE, La Malterie*
29/09/2023 – BERN, International Antifascist Blackmetal Convention*
30/09/2023 – TUBINGEN, Epplehaus
01/10/2023 – LJUBLJANA, Gromka*
02/10/2023 – BRATISLAVA, Kulturak
03/10/2023 – TBA
04/10/2023 – WARSAW, Chmury
05/10/2023 – BERLIN, Urban Spree #
06/10/2023 – COPENHAGEN, Stengade
07/10/2023 – OSLO, Revolver
08/10/2023 – GOTEBORG, Raptor Booking
10/10/2023 – KIEL, Alter Meierei
11/10/2023 – KOLN, Sonic Ballroom
12/10/2023 – LIÈGE, La Zone #
13/10/2023 – DUSSELDORF, Linkes Zentrum Hinterhof
14/10/2023 – NIJMEGEN, Soulcrusher Festival
15/10/2023 – PARIS, GLAZART (Cerbère Coryphée / Banlieue Rouge)*
16/10/2023 – ANGERS, Jokerspub-Angers
17/10/2023 – RENNES, Ty Anna Tavarn
*with Dawn Ray’d & Iskandr
# with KEN Mode and Fange
Perfect World Productions 