Closet Witch is an American hardcore punk band hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band was formed in 2011 and quickly gained attention for their aggressive and intense sound. They have released two full-length albums and several EPs, solidifying their place in the underground punk scene. The term "closet witch" is a play on words, referring to someone who may hide or suppress their true nature or interests. Just like a witch hiding in the closet, the band's name and music represent a raw and powerful energy that is often overlooked or misunderstood. Their music is often described as chaotic, with elements of punk, metal, and noise all coming together to create a sound that is both abrasive and cathartic.

Closet witch rym

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Their music is often described as chaotic, with elements of punk, metal, and noise all coming together to create a sound that is both abrasive and cathartic. Lyrically, they tackle themes of personal struggle, mental health, and societal issues, often using metaphorical language and imagery to convey their message. Closet Witch's live shows are known for their high energy and intense performances.

Closet Witch

by Closet Witch

baufos the heaviness and chaotic energy of grindcore and hardcore + the raw emotion of screamo and DSBM = good stuff! Favorite track: Blood Orange.

vincent-woodhead This album is brilliant, the raw energy emanating from this band blows me away! Favorite track: Moonstomp.

Gregory Biché wait what? i feel late to the party. this record fucking rips and you know i'm gonna see y'all play if you come to philadelphia Favorite track: Rule by Bacon.

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released June 15, 2018

Closet Witch is:
Alex Crist - Guitars
Mollie Piatetsky - Vocals
Royce Kurth - Drums
Cory Peak - Bass

Recorded at Flat Black Studios by Luke Tweedy
Mastered at Signaturetone by Adam Tucker
Cover Art by Joe H.

Released on 12" LP by:
Halo of Flies Records, Sassbologna and Jems in the USA
Circus of the Macabre and Don't Care Records in the United Kingdom and React With Protest Records in Germany

Released on cassette tape by:
Sassbologna and Halo of Flies Records

Closet Witch – “Chiaroscuro”

A runaway train recklessly catapulting off the rails at top speed towards certain doom. After a brief tension building introduction this is what Closet Witch deliver on their second album Chiaroscuro. Save for an interlude at the midpoint, which comes as a welcome gasp of breath amidst a somehow pleasant drowning, this album is punishing and relentless. The second impression Chiaroscuro calls forth after a terrifying train deepens the pervasive watery imagery: a woman, possibly the titular Closet Witch herself, screaming in anguish as ocean waves crash against the rocks all around her.

Grindcore is a genre of extremes. Extreme sonically. Extreme lyrically with extreme themes. Extremely short song lengths. (Famously some AxCx songs occasionally stretch past the 30 second mark while Napalm Death hold the world record for shortest recorded song.) Overlooking a genre prone to gimmicks and inherently challenging is understandable, but there is a depth of quality expression waiting for those willing to endure the extreme. The abrasion of a chainsaw has a way of cutting right to the point. The fat of meandering lengthy explorations is trimmed and the meat leftover is richer for that absence.

Controlling chaos, like taming fire by hand, is a precarious tightrope act. The outcome can be spun gold if lightning strikes to be deftly bottled. Out of such focused pummeling comes a sort of beauty. A gorgeous side of the grotesque is at work here. If at times grindcore and other extreme metal genres are a shotgun, Closet Witch are a razor blade. There is a piercing intensity to their effort on Chiaroscuro which instead of being scattershot is laser focused. One track seamlessly blends into the next holding on tight while a larger picture is formed. Drums of rock filled trash cans roll downhill colliding into guitars fuzzed out a mile wide in an all-consuming depth and pressure. This barrage is met with the constant companion of vocalist Mollie Piatetsky’s death wail screams in equal parts agony and rage.

For all the heaviness on display the quieter moments of Chiaroscuro have a lasting impact. “Intro” sets the tone right out of the gates. An unsettling horror movie soundtrack builds and builds anxiety rising as the drums come in slow at first until we are thrown right into the onslaught of the album proper. The A-side closes with an “Untitled Track” which serves as a time for placid reflection. A solemn meditation invoking the rattling chains of Jacob Marley’s ghost underscored by unholy murmuring. Voices in the cemetery. “To the Cauldron” ends the album with a kind of dissonant farewell. A final moment of calm, the storm of a once bubbling pot has stilled for now.

Observing the presentation and personnel involved it becomes apparent that Closet Witch have crafted Chiaroscuro from the ether with care and attention to detail. The cover art by guitarist Alex Crist is intensely gripping, devastatingly beautiful while conjuring something darker. The duality of the strikingly clean soft feminine face with the moths on her head, hand, and at her throat is engaging and off putting. The liner notes in delicate script and art of a zombie-like hand emerging from dense foliage set against the same neat starry background as the cover are again a juxtaposition of horror and elegance. All of this artistry perfectly mirrors the aural experience of the album. Chiaroscuro also features several guest appearances: Andrew Cline (Ice Hockey), Frankie Furillo (The Central), Dan Lee (Wanderer), and Dylan Walker (Full Of Hell). This stacked lineup of talent accentuates an already strong core of musicians.

Lyrically Chiaroscuro is just as consistent as the music. Recurring themes of abuse, greed, power imbalances both personal and societal, helplessness, fear, painful memories, and overwhelming dread dovetail alongside the band’s sonic violence. ‘Keep the facts locked up tight, ignorant minds put lives on the line, money hungry feed the machine,’ excoriates “Well Fed Machine”. “You, Me, & Venus in Decay” explores the ‘Sickness in Love’ in refreshingly honest fashion. The vocals on this album are not a futile shout against the wind, but instead are emboldened alongside its howl. ‘Covered eyes means I can’t cover my ears, in tune to your cries,’ wails “Haunting”. Imploring, almost begging: Aren’t you pissed off? Don’t you see what I see? Here is my pain! Here is my fear! Where is your outrage. ‘Smelling your Funeral Flowers doesn’t bring me joy.’

Our reaction and response to the horrors of this world speaks volumes. Too often it is easier to fall into despair or worse still the complacency of denial. Anger for all its negative aspects can be motivating toward far more positive outcomes. Children in cages, police brutality, climate anxiety, toxic masculinity, body autonomy, famine, pestilence, and war. The modern world can seem at times like a buffet of awful. The challenge then is to not become paralyzed by indecision or wallow in fear. Don’t turn away from the brutality of this apocalyptic life instead scream along with Closet Witch.

Cover artwork by Alex Crist
Insert artwork by Alex Crist and Mollie Piatetsky

Closet Witch – Closet Witch (Halo of Flies, Jun 15)

Closet Witch’s self-titled LP is their first full length release since their inception nearly four years ago. It’s an intensely focused offering, with many of the crust punk elements of 2015’s Black Salt EP abandoned in favor of a dark and dense hybrid of various hardcore subgenres. Singer Mollie Piatetsky leads the charge on many of the tracks, her shrill yet full-bodied screams ripping through the maelstrom of blasts. Closet Witch handles both short and long songs with equal effectiveness, consistently dealing out both patient atmospherics and relentless breakdowns. It’s a versatility that’s present on the whole record, but is best seen in the double punch of “Rule by Bacon,” a nearly four-minute track whose slow-building crescendos climax in an exhausted vortex of feedback and desperate shrieks, and “Spell of Giddiness,” which follows it up with a 36 second block of pummeling hardcore. It also helps keep the album interesting and unpredictable, with even the most jarring stylistic change-ups working like a charm; Closet Witch somehow pulls chaotic d-beat, pounding mathcore rhythms, and crushing sludge metal under one infernal roof. Okay, now I have to stop writing so I can go listen to it again.

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“Over-closeness, the noise and heat of being.”

Don DeLillo, White Noise

Welcome to Noise Not Music. Here you’ll find reviews of recent albums, various features and lists, and occasional mixes. I do not agree with the statement I’ve chosen as the title for this site; everything I write about here—a great deal of which could be called “noise”—is music.

I tend to focus on material that resides in the experimental or avant-garde realm of music, but nothing is off limits. If you have an album you’d like me to review, please email me or comment on a post. When I say nothing is off limits, I really mean it. However, I only review albums I like, and the “reviews” themselves (“blurbs” might be a more accurate label, but god, what an awful word) are more intended to encourage discovery rather than to express my personal opinion. Also, I will be much more likely to review an album if it is not sent as a promo blast/press kit. I almost always restrict coverage to things that have come out in the past two weeks or so.

Currently the site is written by just me, Jack, but I’m open to expanding in the future. If you’d like to write a guest review or essay please reach out.

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Virginia Aveline – The Enthronement to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Sister Mary and Her Seven Dead Swans (Mouth of Heaven Recording Collective / Pressing of Tongues, 2019)

The band members are known to give it their all on stage, with their explosive and passionate performances leaving audiences in awe. Despite their fierce reputation, Closet Witch is a band that prides themselves on creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere within the punk community. They have actively supported and advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and other social justice causes. In conclusion, Closet Witch is a band that combines raw energy, intense lyrics, and a passion for social justice to create a unique and unapologetic sound. They have gained a dedicated following in the hardcore punk scene and continue to push the boundaries of the genre with their powerful and thought-provoking music..

Reviews for "Closet Witch Ancestors: Honoring Those Who Came Before"

- Jane Smith - 1 star: I found "Closet witch rym" to be incredibly disappointing. The characters were one-dimensional and the plot was predictable. The writing style was also lackluster, lacking any real depth or complexity. Overall, I felt like I wasted my time reading this book and would not recommend it to others.

- John Doe - 2 stars: I had high hopes for "Closet witch rym" but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The storyline felt disjointed and the pacing was off. The main character was difficult to connect with and the world-building felt rushed and underdeveloped. There were some interesting ideas, but they were not fully explored or executed well. Overall, it was an average read at best.

- Sarah Thompson - 2 stars: I couldn't bring myself to enjoy "Closet witch rym" as much as I wanted to. The writing felt flat and I struggled to get invested in the story or the characters. The dialogue was unrealistic and the plot lacked originality. I was hoping for a more unique and engaging reading experience, but unfortunately, this book didn't deliver. I can see why some people might enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.

Closet Witch Elemental Magick: Tapping into the Forces of Nature