The Bell Witch, also known as the Bell Witch Haunting, is a famous legend from Tennessee, United States. It centers around the Bell family, who claimed to have been tormented by a malevolent spirit known as the Bell Witch during the early 19th century. According to the folklore, the haunting began in 1817 when John Bell, the patriarch of the family, encountered a strange animal with the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit. Soon after, the family began experiencing paranormal activities, including strange noises, knocking sounds, and physical assaults by an invisible force. Betsy Bell, one of John Bell's daughters, was particularly targeted by the entity. It would pull her hair, slap her, and torment her relentlessly.
Ceaselessness permeates these howled, groaned, and hissed lyrics, full of “recurring dawn[s]” and “arrow[s] loosed at forever.” Dark fades into light, life into death, on and on, again and again. But the more immediate and enduring result of this approach to infinity is structural. A small clutch of riffs and rhythmic figures thread through The Clandestine Gate, disappearing only to reappear in slightly warped form. The record is more orderly motel than sprawling mansion, a few motifs repeated through the maze of levels and hallways.
Early on, it s the way Desmond s high bass notes begin to trace a careful filigree over Shreibman s steady organ; nearly 45 minutes later, it s the way distant monastic chants finally coil into death-metal growls, severing the reverie and sending it back to solid ground. The Clandestine Gate moves in a string of interconnected three-to-five-minute segments, the larger piece always shifting subtly just before tedium sets in.
It would pull her hair, slap her, and torment her relentlessly. The entity claimed to be the spirit of a woman named Kate Batts, who had been wronged by John Bell's father in a land dispute. The Bell Witch was not only active within the Bell household but was also known to interact with visitors.
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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.
Heterodontosauridae Obvious comparisons to Mirror Reaper are inevitable when discussing The Clandestine Gate, however I think this album sounds pretty great on its own merit. There's a lot less repetition to be found here, and while the atmosphere isn't as depressing or heavy, it makes up for that in memorability. Some sections on here are absolutely fantastic, as is the record. Big thumbs up from me.
It would engage in conversations, often displaying knowledge about people and events it could not have known otherwise. This led to the belief that the entity possessed supernatural abilities, including clairvoyance and telepathy. The haunting gained widespread attention and became a topic of interest throughout the region. News of the Bell Witch soon reached Andrew Jackson, who was the future President of the United States at the time. Intrigued, Jackson decided to visit the Bell family and witness the phenomenon firsthand. According to the legend, Andrew Jackson's encounter with the entity ended in terror, as the Bell Witch scared him away. The Bell Witch haunting continued for several years until John Bell's death in 1820. After his passing, the entity declared that it would return in 1828. True to its words, it reappeared and visited John Bell's eldest son, John Bell Jr., recounting the events surrounding its initial manifestation and revealing its intention to stay for another century. The Bell Witch has left a lasting legacy in American folklore, captivating the imaginations of countless individuals. Stories and accounts of the haunting have been passed down through generations, becoming a part of Tennessee's cultural history. The legend has inspired numerous books, plays, and even a movie adaptation. Whether the Bell Witch was a malevolent spirit or a creation of human imagination, the mystery remains unsolved, shrouding the tale in both intrigue and dread..
Reviews for "The Bell Witch Legacy: Uncovering Future Shadows and Their Eerie Origins"
1. John - 1/5 - "Bell Witch Futurss Shadow" was an absolute disappointment for me. The story lacked depth and the characters felt flat and uninteresting. The writing style was overly complicated and made it difficult to follow the plot. I found myself struggling to stay engaged and ultimately gave up on finishing the book. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting and well-crafted story.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - I had high hopes for "Bell Witch Futurss Shadow," but it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was slow, and the plot seemed to drag on without much development. The main character's motivations were unclear, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters on an emotional level. Additionally, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. While there were some interesting ideas presented in the book, they were not executed well, leaving me disappointed in the overall reading experience.
3. Alex - 2.5/5 - "Bell Witch Futurss Shadow" lacked originality and failed to captivate my interest. The concept of the story had potential, but it was executed in a cliché and predictable manner. The writing style was often confusing and clunky, making it difficult to fully understand the intended message. The characters felt one-dimensional and their actions often felt forced. Overall, this book could have been much more intriguing, but it ended up being forgettable and unimpressive.
4. Emily - 2/5 - I found "Bell Witch Futurss Shadow" to be quite underwhelming. The plot was confusing and disjointed, with no clear direction. The dialogue was awkward and unnatural, making it hard to stay engaged with the story. Additionally, the pacing was off, with moments of intense action followed by dull stretches of nothingness. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it did not deliver the thrilling and captivating reading experience I had anticipated.