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Reviews for Darkwoods My Betrothed - Witch-Hunts:

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Although this album came out after Autumn Roars Thunder, it is quite different. Definitly more hard-hitting, but for those who love melody, there's still plenty of it.

An absolutely great black metal album with a generous amount of keyboards and guitar melodies. I think the keyboards do an excellent job of providing a haunting and mysterious atmosphere for the rest of the music. They are executed in a way which I am unfamilar with, so I'd dare call this album very unique in that aspect. Although I've streched the talk of keyboards very far, do not scartch this off as some bland melodic album, as there is a great balance of fury as well. Most of the album is of fast tempo. Also, I have to add the artwork is excellent. This album gets a 10/10 from me.

Recommended tracks: Inside the Circle of Stones, Preacher Came to Town, Witch Hunters.

Review by: PillarsOfDrear

The band's third full-length is a major proggressing step on their career. The style has chanced to very catchy, more melodic yet perhaps more aggressive. The opening track "Without Ceremony and Bell Toll" gives a good picture of the albums greatness. Also positive thing is that on this album The Emperor Nattasett's voice sounds a lot better than if you for example compare it to Heirs of the Northstar or the earlier works in general. The three last tracks are a one story, though the whole album's theme is about witches, which is nice that Black Metal bands can find new aspects to write their lyrics about. Very recommended album, definetily the best album made in Finland ! Check out the samples of this album from their homepage. You'll lose a lot if you ignore this album.

Review by: Tindra84

I have to say, I had completely no information regarding the band before I allowed it to torment my ears, but then it turned out it was not a torment; in fact far from it. This album is absolutely great!
The way I always try to sum up the good and bad sides is to analyze each element of the whole one after another and then sum them all up to see how things work.
What do we have in this case? Something I and many of my friends call the sound wall or riff wall. The guitars are heavily distorted, trebles pushed quite far up and they play in the background ALL the time, aside from your usual leading guitar. This should be a genre of its own, especially considering the specific way in which one has to listen to that kind of music. Believe me it's still black metal, and it has all the typically Finnish elements, except keyboards. They're still here, but are far from prevalent. Some intros and mid-song elements played on keyboards, and they are well heard and clear BUT they don't dominate the album like in the case of so many less successful bands. They're here, and they sometimes lead a melody but not extensively for which I am grateful.
Drums? What can I say, they're typically black metal. Fast tempos, blasting and everything one need to headbang one's own head till you have to wear a plaster neck brace for a couple of weeks.
Vocals... yes a very important part of the whole, they've been flawlessly executed here; your typical black screams, sometimes called 'scrowls' for whatever reason - they dominate the album, and perform very well, sometimes they tend to disperse somewhat in the sound wave constantly assualting all human sonic receptors. Some parts however are spoken in a cryptic voice much like the one invoking the Book of the Dead's evil forces in the movie "Evil Dead", not too much however, less than 10% of the album's vocal tract.
This is a very dark and climatic album, there's some synth work in the background which can be heard during the less riff-filled parts, and which perfectly add to the whole.
This seems to be a concept album, with lyrics evolving around some backwater towns in 17th-18th century, where which hunts and burnings are everyday's bread. A history about dark beings invoked by these very burnings, which come from the gloomy forests to ravage the residents of the town with a corrupt and immoral priest at the top of the community; all punished for past transgression.

In other words: This is a complete album, a complete piece of musical art, and deserves highest praise for all the elements combined together in a well thought concept, not substracting from its obvious extremity and heaviness as well as dark climate. Absolutely recommended to anybody interested in this paricular branch of black metal.\

9,5/10

Review by: Blasph

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