collage msker

The witch and the tzar is a fascinating tale that takes place in a mystical land filled with magic and intrigue. The story follows the journey of a powerful witch and a wise tzar as they navigate through a series of challenges and solve ancient riddles. In this captivating narrative, the witch possesses incredible powers that can shape reality and bend the laws of nature. She is known for her wisdom, beauty, and cunning, which make her a force to be reckoned with. The tzar, on the other hand, is a wise and just ruler who seeks the aid of the witch to solve a mysterious dilemma that threatens his kingdom. The story begins with the tzar seeking the witch's help in deciphering a prophecy that could potentially bring ruin to his reign.

All this proffers itself as a readymade punchline, of course. An 83-minute doom album that is actually the first third of a four-hour opus seems a sort of galaxy-brained terminus, the ostensible slag of two stony dudes sitting for far too long in some smoke-clogged rehearsal room, tossing off absurd hypotheticals. Its minimalism becomes not just maximalism but also mannerism, so far up the form’s ass it may seem hard for outsiders to peer in. But Bell Witch are blessedly self-aware, adding one second of silence to The Clandestine Gate just to make it longer than Mirror Reaper, then sharing a laugh in interviews about the ridiculous choice. They get that this is a lot, that most folks don’t have the space for four hours of doom about, well, being doomed.

These eternal returns are less about infinite lives and more about pedestrian repetition, or surviving social structures that often ask the same of us at least five days per week. Upbeat isn t the word, up-tempo certainly isn t but there is a real sense of space, of vast open vistas that aren t quite as dark and miserable as we were led to believe.

The story begins with the tzar seeking the witch's help in deciphering a prophecy that could potentially bring ruin to his reign. The prophecy speaks of a great evil that will engulf the land if certain conditions are not met. The witch, intrigued by the challenge, agrees to assist the tzar and embarks on a perilous journey alongside him.

Review: Bell Witch ‘Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate’

The cataclysmic rendering of Bell Witch‘s Mirror Reaper record still reverberates through the extreme music scene to this day, over five years since it first emerged from the nether realm like its album art cover suggests. Tectonic, apocalyptic, a record that has bewitched many since that day and it is always a pleasure and a curse to anticipate how a band will follow something so seminal. Well, your answer is Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate, Bell Witch‘s new record out now through Profound Lore.

One track. 1 hour, 23 minutes and 15 seconds long. Exactly the same as Mirror Reaper. If that doesn’t immediately give you an idea of the scope that this project is coming from, nothing will. Viewed as part one of the Future’s Shadow trilogy, The Clandestine Gate opens with slow, haunting organ notes that drift through empty space. It reminds me a lot of Asva’s What You Don’t Know is Frontier record, and as piano keys take over the melancholy at around four minutes, the morose gloom is starting to really set in.

Like all good funeral doom, The Clandestine Gate isn’t just an exercise in soul sucking heaviness (although when that starts to hit around the eight-and-a-half-minute mark, ooft) but also it is about tension, about atmosphere and about emotional weight too. The ghostly choral vocals come in after eleven minutes, an eternity for most bands but a mere blink in Bell Witch‘s time.

Upbeat isn’t the word, up-tempo certainly isn’t but there is a real sense of space, of vast open vistas that aren’t quite as dark and miserable as we were led to believe. By twenty minutes you could imagine almost this being an ambient piece, but with drums and guitar of course. It is huuuuge, but begins to close in on itself from here, trembling quiet notes shudder in the encroaching darkness and fade away into almost nothing. Sinister vocals weave within a single, creeping melody.

A more gloomy and funereal mood takes over, nothing cataclysmic yet, more like a trudge to the edge of the world. A stare over the end into the void, pausing to contemplate the abyssal growls emanating below you. The organ and choral vocals return as well, like a redemption light as everything starts to crumble. A conscious effort by the band to showcase more of their individual instruments and vocals perhaps? Certainly, it seems that way to me. The final, dirging destruction of death/doom tectonics, punctuated by organ once more, is the pièce de résistance of a work that is ritually spellbinding and invigorating.

I read in the promotional material that Future’s Shadow Part 1 was inspired by the minimalist films of Andrei Tarkovsky as well as the concepts of eternal return, where time never ends, and death is not the end of life but the beginning of a new infinite cycle. You can see exactly how, in the planetary, cosmic expanses of Bell Witch‘s soundscaping abilities; if this is the first part of a triptych that is destined to loop back upon itself like a titanic ouroboros of doom, then it foreshadows a truly time rending masterpiece. We are witnesses to the funeral doom’s rapture.

Label: Profound Lore Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram

As the duo delves deeper into their quest, they encounter mythical creatures, treacherous landscapes, and daunting riddles that test their wit and bravery. Along the way, they develop a strong bond, relying on each other's strengths to overcome every obstacle they face. Eventually, the witch and the tzar unravel the layers of the prophecy, revealing that the source of the impending evil lies within the heart of the kingdom itself. In a surprising twist, they discover that the evil is not an external force, but rather a reflection of the inner turmoil and corruption that plagues the rulers and the people alike. With this newfound knowledge, the witch and the tzar work together to cleanse the kingdom of its darkness. Through their wisdom and bravery, they initiate a series of reforms, promoting justice, compassion, and unity among the people. As a result, the kingdom flourishes, and the threat of the prophecy dissipates. In the end, the witch and the tzar emerge as true heroes, not only for averting a catastrophic event but also for bringing about a positive transformation in the land. Their story serves as a timeless reminder of the power of collaboration, courage, and the ability to confront one's inner demons. The witch and the tzar is a timeless narrative that explores themes of power, redemption, and the triumph of good over evil. It captivates readers with its vivid descriptions, complex characters, and thought-provoking message. Ultimately, it reminds us that true strength lies not in magical abilities or ruling a kingdom but in the choices we make and the actions we take to create a better world..

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collage msker