Review ATTIC ‘Return of the Witchfinder’

When Attic premiered in 2012 with ‘The Invocation’ immediate attention was guaranteed. The most obvious reason were the falsetto vocals by frontman Meister Cagliostro which remined so much of King Diamond. His way of singing in a high-pitch is still one of the trademarks of Attic while it is face-paint that also shows where the inspiration comes from.

At the same time, Attic could establish themselves as a band that yet comes with an own identity which has to do with the quality of songs being present on the first two albums.

Having been present all the time, incl. a live performance at Wacken 2023, it took a while before fans of well-done heavy metal can hold a new record in their hands.

Seven years after ‘Sanctimonious’ was shipped to the record stores it is the third studio album that has the potential to maintain the bands winning streak. ‘Return of the Witchfinder’ is the title of a ten-songs featuring record that shows all the trademark of the band. Hereby the band stays true to themselves and their sound. The known crosslinks to King Diamond are still present as well as the falsetto vocals. What’s special with the new album though is a next level of song writing quality that makes ‘Return of the Witchfinder’ to an album with a diabolic entertainment factor.

‘The Convenant’ is an ominous intro that leads to the first real track of the album. ‘Darkest Rites’ is the title of the actual opener and you immediately recognize all the trademarks of the band. Throbbing riffs, beautiful guitar melodies and the special vocals of frontman Meister Cagliostro will please every King Diamond fan. However, it is also the parts with a deeper voice that interact with the falsetto elements in a rather effective fashion.

Attic skillfully navigate through the ten songs that have made it onto ‘Return of the Witchfinder’. The slow-paced ‘The Thief’s Candle’ is the most captivating of these songs, which grinds its way into the ear canals in an irresistible way. Things speed up again with the title track, which is one of the highlights of the record and rightly gives the album its name.

‘Return of the Witchfinder’ is the best album from the guys from the Ruhrgebiet to date. Attic continue to develop their trademarks without moving away from their roots. As far as the fanbase is concerned, there will hardly be any significant changes. Those who like the high falsetto performances by Meister Cagliostro will not be disappointed this time either. And anyone who has never been a fan of Attic and King Diamond should continue keeping an eye on other bands.