I will admit, part of my Wytch Hazel fandom must be that I like championing bands other cringe at sometimes. Us metalheads (myself included!) are often atheists and sometimes invested in our hatred against Christianity to an uncomfortable and unnecessary degree. Despite frontman Colin Hendra‘s claims, it is undeniable that Wytch Hazel is a Christian band and that Christianity is the main subject of their lyrics. Luckily, this isn’t contemporary Christian music, with the overly clean, overly produced and overly safe mush that it usually entails. Wytch Hazel is inspired by the proto metal acts of the 80s, the early twin guitar sound and the often medieval sense of melody that comes with it. On Sacrament, their fourth outing, they open up to more traditional (and to a degree more marketable) sounds – with mixed results.
A lot of the material on Sacrament makes it seem like the band moves forward in time. A lot of this guitar work is more reminiscent of the 80s and it makes sense that the band would be inspired by it. The neverending 80s revival boom we are living in dictates a need to tour with bands that sound like the 80s and that probably leads a band like Wytch Hazel to be somewhat inspired by these acts. I don’t think the pivot in sound is cynical and, in some ways, had been foreshadowed on 2020’s III: Pentecost, where the band sounded like a version of Iron Maiden who started five years earlier. Beyond the stylistic change, which I am not into, I don’t feel the songwriting is quite up to snuff. The hymnic nature of the bands earlier material made you forget that god makes you uncomfortable, feeling like a Christian warrior fighting the good fight. With the melodic framework slightly changing, the dual guitars feel like they lost a lot of their purpose and power. Melodies appear simpler, in an attempt to be even more hymnic, but actually loose that character. A lot of the medieval, ancient character is sadly lost and once again, we have a case of doubling down not on what they do best, but on what could potentially hold them back.
