Witchfinder General - Death Penalty (1982 - Black Sabbath NWOBHM)

Ok, first a disclaimer: I've been very leary to post a lot of metal stuff. I have tones of it, and pleannty of it probably doesn't sell to many albums because they're from the 80's and 70's. But i can't realy tell what is our-of-print and what has been reissued. Is there some sort of site that i can check to see if something is in print or not?

Ok, here's where this segues into the next paragraph...

This album was first released in 1982, pre-cds, so that means just on vinyl for you children of the digital age. Witchfinder General also put out a second album in 1983 called Friends of Hell, both on Heavy Metal Reocreds. Some time after this this, the record lable owner became a born again Christian and refused to release these records because they where satanic or something. Or maybe it was because both album covers showing the band decked out in either Inquasition era or Colonial era cloths while sacrificing scantly clad woman.

These albums were reissued on CD in 1996, but not agiain after that. I think above mentioned record label owner needed some quick cash.

Soooooo, there for i think this album is out of print. Stonerrock.com has no copies of it this album, and only two copies of their of their next album, and Amazon.com com has it for $79.99, holy hot damn!





Ok, so now that I feel that this album is comfortably out of print, let me talk about how absolutly fucking killer this band is. If you don't like Black Sabbath, the leave the room now. In fact lets start with Black Sabbath as a templet.

It muight just be that Zeeb Parkes (vocals) sings better than Ozzy, and the rest of the band, Phil Cope (guitars), Woolfy Trope (bass), and Graham Ditchfield (drums), rocks out to a mix of Budgie and Sabbath.

Like Sabbath with a bit more punch in the guitar sound, this album might take a few listens before you start to realy see how much of their own unique sound Witchfinder General realy had.

So just as much as the music is killer, the lyrics are dumb as dog-shit. Now im just as big a fan of rock and roll poetry as the next guy, and Sabbath them self had some nice lines ("Would you like to see the Pope on the end of a rope - Do you think he's a fool?" - After Forever), but Witchfinder General really take the cake. Here's some samples:

Invisible Hate -

I've fought my hate now here comes joy -
How I fought it I don't know oh boy -
Some say God, some say faith -
I say sex, drugs, rock and beer -
My beer-
My My My My -
My beer - beer - beer - beer - My My My My

Free Country -

Rocky's gold, lev is red -
Black goes right to my head
Mushroom tea, a toke of weed
Amphetamine is real good speed
...
Look out for me -
Let's trip on L.S.D.
Look out for me
...
Turn to drugs to free my mind -
Just to see what I would find -
Tabs are great, now ask the drummer
Smack my friend is just a bummer

All right, all right, I could go through almost every song like this ( thouse two examples where just tracks one and two) as the rest of the songs talk about the merrits of the death penalty, about doing girls and then takeing off befor thay want to date you, and then two songs about burning witch women.

Needless to say, it is absolutly essential that you get anything buy Witchfinder General if your into Black Sabbath, doom metal, NWOBHM, or even hard rock. Do you have a pulse? Then get this album!

- overview by Denez

Tracklist:

1. Invisible Hate
2. Free Country
3. Death Penalty
4. No Stayer
5. Witchfinder General
6. Burning a Sinner
7. R.I.P

I guess buy it here.

or here. <-----yes, here...yes still a bit pricy but stonerrock.com are good people

http://rapidshare.de/files/18709497/Witchfinder_General.rar.html