New releases last eight weeks: Metal

Review: Over two decades since their initial formation, Idag serves as the seventh full-length from Swedish occult rock/proto-doom metal legends Witchcraft, marking their follow up to 2020's sombre, acoustic dark folk, ironically titled Black Metal. Speaking on the project, founding guitarist/vocalist and sole original member Magnus Pelander states: "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." Astute rock occultists quickly surmised the nod to Chicago psych rockers Coven's 1969 debut album, Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls, which marked the deepest foray into all things gloom and doom the rock scene had witnessed up until that point, even birthing the "sign of the horns", with Witchcraft doing their best to honour the pioneers with an all-encompassing work. From the monolithic, eight-minute opening title-track to the swaggery, 70s-indebted progressive rock and metal roots of 'Irreligious Flamboyant Flame', all underpinned with delicate folk pieces to provide vital respites, Witchcraft have ultimately delivered an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band.