Once again the guitar tandem of Alex Haslan and Colin Hendra pave the way to Heaven. The production is lovingly warm and old timey, with the guitars sounding bright and vibrant. Only the closer exceeds the 5-minute mark whereas most selections dwell in the 3-4 minute window. At a super tight 43 minutes, there’s not much fat on this holy cow.

It ends things on an understated note though the sparkling guitar work is lovely. Closer “Digging Deeper” is a lesser chestnut though, not quite as essential as its companions. “Future is Gold” is effective and brooding with a touch of melancholy, and I like it a lot. My biggest complaint is the way the album winds out with two very tame, introspective pieces. “Endless Battle” is a stout, endearing ode to spilling blood in the name of the Sweet and Fluffy Lord that makes me want to pick up the Sword of Holy Wengeance, and that chorus is low-key massive (all things in moderation, my son). “A Thousand Years” has a chorus that’s sneaky infectious and becomes troubling when it takes hold, as you do NOT want to be singing it as you walk the aisles in Whole Foods or the Pudding Emporium. So uplifting, so catchy, so damn good, it angers the Devil in me.įrom there, Sacrament undergoes a slight slip in quality, but the album doesn’t come close to crashing and burning. It’s like AC/DC doing church rock and you should want that in your sinner’s veins. It feels worshipful and uplifting and yes, it isn’t far from what I imagine a Christian rock band would be cranking out in the rec center on a Saturday afternoon, but damn if it isn’t awesome! The first four cuts are all excellent, with the might and majesty of “Strong Heart” being another unstoppable paeon to piousness and purity, and even my ungodly soul is here for it. That lead riff is fire and Colin Hendra’s soothing vocals could tame a rampaging Cyclops Viking. “Angel of Light” is the same recipe with a different fruit topping and it too cannot be denied or resisted. The chorus is like flypaper and the whole construct is hot tar. It’s such a simple little song but you won’t want it to end. It feels like prime Blue Oyster Cult fused with Angel Witch and that’s a recipe I’ll put my trust in every time. It’s in that same exact framework – simple, stripped-down 70s rock mixed with NWoBHM ideas, carried by basic, gloriously catchy riffs and slick vocal lines that act like Crazy Glue on your brain.

Mere seconds into enormous opener “The Fire’s Control” I felt I was hearing a hidden track from III: Pentecost.

Can the Wytch Hazel white magic conjure another spellbinding opus? Do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Savior? Don’t even try to close that door on my ape foot, chumbo. That makes it an especially tough act to follow, but here comes IV: Sacrament nonetheless. It scored the #3 spot in my Top Ten(ish) of 2020 and I return to it regularly when I need uplifting, positive sounds. 2020s III: Pentecost was an absolute smoke show of an album with cut after cut that stuck in my head and still linger nearly three years on. So much so in fact, that I don’t even mind their tendency to preach the power of Christ so forcefully. Hooks are ever present and there’s a special something in their writing. While bands dabbling in retro metal are a dime a dozen, Wytch Hazel bring an earnestness to what they do that somehow makes their output feel fresh and timeless. Every since I stumbled on Wytch Hazel’s sophomore opus, II: Sojourn, I’ve been enchanted by their breezy retro style that borrows from the likes of Angel Witch, Thin Lizzy, and Slough Feg.

Opus one 2012 review