The legend of the Bell Witch is a fascinating and eerie tale that dates back to the early 19th century in Tennessee, United States. The story revolves around a supernatural entity, known as the Bell Witch, which terrorized the Bell family for many years. According to the legend, the Bell Witch appeared in the home of John Bell Sr. in 1817. The entity started its torment by knocking on the doors and walls, and pulling the covers off the beds of the family members. As time went on, the Bell Witch became more aggressive and began physically attacking the family, especially their youngest daughter, Betsy Bell.
Bell Witch began tracing the sequences that would form Future's Shadow in live performance while on tour with Neurosis and Mono. At first, Shreibman and Desmond planned to release each chapter in the sequence as they completed it, touring each album in between. Then, in early 2020, pandemic restrictions forced them to step back from that timeline. Locked out of their rehearsal space, they worked on what would become The Clandestine Gate at a slower burn than any of their previous projects. The album germinated over the course of more than two years, a pace that allowed their music to evolve organically to a state of more focused, grounded minimalism.
The concept of eternal return -- that time doesn t end and death doesn t punctuate life, but both go on forever in an infinite loop no one can remember -- inflected the development of The Clandestine Gate after Desmond encountered the idea in Nietzche s book The Gay Science. On a historical scale, to say nothing of a cosmic one, the individual human life vanishes, and yet it s the only aperture any of us get into reality.
As time went on, the Bell Witch became more aggressive and began physically attacking the family, especially their youngest daughter, Betsy Bell. The Bell Witch was said to have a deep hatred for John Bell Sr., and it made its presence known by speaking to the family members.
$12.00
You successfully added Bell Witch: Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate 2xCD to your cart.
Track Listing:
1. The Clandestine Gate
Pacific Northwestern doom metal monolith BELL WITCH will see the release of their new album “Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate” on April 21st digitally followed by its physical release on 2LP/2CD/Cassette, June 9. Pre-orders, along with a short-making of video of the album are now live (link in bio). As well, the band have announced a surprise appearance at this year’s Roadburn Festival on April 20th where they will perform “The Clandestine Gate” in its entirety.
For their new album, bassist/vocalist Dylan Desmond and drummer/vocalist Jesse Shreibman exploded Bell Witch's bounds. Like 2017's lauded “Mirror Reaper”, “The Clandestine Gate” is a single 83-minute track -- a composition that pulses and breathes on a filmic timeframe. It constitutes the first chapter in a planned triptych of longform albums, collectively called “Future's Shadow.”
While traces of organ and synthesizer hovered over “Mirror Reaper” and Bell Witch's 2020 collaboration with Aerial Ruin, “Stygian Bough Volume 1”, “The Clandestine Gate” drew those instruments closer to the center of its compositions. The band reunited with their longtime producer Billy Anderson as they began negotiating these new compositional weights. On “The Clandestine Gate”, Bell Witch's twinned voices build off of the chantlike textures of previous records while steering toward more developed melodic lines, structured harmonies, and rhythmic death metal growls.
The immense gravity of a work like “The Clandestine Gate”, which features exclusive stunning cover art by Jordi Diaz Alama, allows ideas to simmer in a way that feels profoundly and somatically intuitive -- not just a philosophical exercise, but an embodied truth. By slowing down both their creative process and the tempo of the music itself, Bell Witch digs even deeper into their long standing focus: the way life spills on inside its minuscule container, both eternal and fleeting, a chord that echoes without resolution.
The Seattle doom duo embarks on an audacious mission—a beautiful and melancholy three-album cycle about eternal returns and daily toil.
The entity had a high-pitched voice and was able to mimic the voices of different people. It often engaged in lengthy conversations with the family, revealing intimate details about their lives and the future. The legend of the Bell Witch spread throughout the community, and many people came to witness the supernatural events at the Bell household. Visitors claimed to have witnessed objects being thrown across the room, disembodied voices, and even physical attacks from the unseen entity. The haunting of the Bell family went on for several years until John Bell Sr. passed away in 1820. After his death, the Bell Witch supposedly declared that it was leaving and would return in seven years. True to its word, the entity returned in 1828 but only made its presence known to a select few who had a connection to the Bell family. The Bell Witch legend has captivated the interest of many people over the years, and the story has inspired books, movies, and documentaries. Skeptics argue that the events were fabricated or exaggerated, while believers continue to be fascinated by the supernatural nature of the tale. Regardless of the truth behind the Bell Witch legend, it remains a prominent part of Tennessee folklore and continues to intrigue those who are curious about the unknown and paranormal. The story serves as a reminder of our fascination with the supernatural and the enduring power of folklore in our society..
Reviews for "The Dark History of the Bell Witch Clandestine Gatr"
- John - 1 out of 5 stars - I watched "Bell witch clandextine gatr" with high hopes based on the trailer, but I was sorely disappointed. The plot was confusing and poorly developed, with many unanswered questions. The acting was wooden and unconvincing, making it hard to become emotionally invested in the characters. The special effects were also lackluster, failing to create a sense of horror or suspense. Overall, this movie was a major letdown and I would not recommend it to anyone.
- Emma - 2 out of 5 stars - "Bell witch clandextine gatr" had potential, but it failed to deliver on multiple fronts. The pacing was incredibly slow, making the movie feel like it dragged on forever. The dialogue was also poorly written and lacked depth, resulting in bland and uninteresting conversations between the characters. The scares were predictable and relied heavily on jump scares, which felt cheap and overused. While the cinematography was decent, it wasn't enough to salvage the overall mediocrity of the film.
- Michael - 1 out of 5 stars - I regret wasting my time watching "Bell witch clandextine gatr". The story was nonsensical and hard to follow, leaving me feeling confused and frustrated. The actors seemed disinterested in their roles, delivering unconvincing performances that made it hard to connect with the characters. The movie failed to build any tension or suspense, relying on tired horror tropes that fell flat. Overall, "Bell witch clandextine gatr" was a boring and forgettable film that I would not recommend.