Until black speed becomes overblown and well worn, most practitioners of this style will always be greeted with open leather arms. While the style is steeped in the constructed nostalgia of 80’s speed and black metal, to pull off this sound correctly, a band must have not only the skills to play really fast but also attitude which will instigate a bar brawl. Bewitcher is still at the demo level but three releases in, this US based band is building a congregation which is ready to worship at the altar of engine grease.

Bewitcher works in a dimension where humor is as important as instrumentation. This is not to say the band is parody nor any less talented than more serious contemporaries. However, when the two band members adopt pseudonyms like “Infernal Magus of Nocturnal Alchemy” and “Unholy Weaver of Shadows & Incantations,” there has to be some break in tone. Again, this type of music maybe confusing for some who isn’t used to bands like Speedwolf, Midnight, and the hilariously named Kvlthammer but to others it is the cool guy smoking cigarettes in the school parking lot. By all accounts, songs like “Speed till you Bleed” are serious with a well constructed speed format. The levity of Bewitcher, and other bands similar, comes with atmosphere of fun and entertainment. This is a style of music which can exist in the largest of stadiums or the dirtiest of biker bars.

There are certain styles of music in which I will fully surrender. Black speed is something which can be as fun a comic book or a slasher film. the fact that Bewitcher is made up of two talented individuals which nothing more than to pull a chopper into your living room is all the more reason to throw your hands up with me. Midnight Hunters is another fine step in the funnest direction. It is much easier this way.