Alex Haslam: Guitar
Andy Shackleton: Bass
Aaron Hay: Drums
Lancastrian rock apostles Wytch Hazel have been building their citadel since 2011, when debut single Surrender introduced this boldly wholesome new voice to the British metal underground. Since then the quartet have continually underscored and bolstered a signature sound rooted in heroic days of yore, but finessed to an elegant apex by long-time producer Ed Turner. That sonic alchemy coalesces all over V: Lamentations, bubbling with even more febrile creativity than previous masterworks Prelude, II: Sojourn, III: Pentecost and IV: Sacrament. The latter, bizarrely, reached number seven on the UK ‘Christian & Gospel’ chart, due to a mis-classification at the UKCC, despite selling enough to clinch the number one rock album spot. “Ed is a huge part of what we’re doing,” affirms Wytch Hazel‘s guiding mastermind Colin Hendra. “He’s added so many more details, there’s more to pick up on multiple listens. Ed’s been key in bringing these songs to life; what he brings to the table is fantastic and unique and exactly what we need. Ed finishes my musical sentences with his production“.
However, working remotely with this enigmatic taskmaster (“The epitome of eccentric,” laughs Colin) – and the obsessive perfectionism that both Colin and Ed bring to their work – made for an even more painfully fraught recording process than last time. Colin reveals he had nearly all of this album written when Sacrament emerged in 2023: “So why has it taken so long?!” he groans, with a frustrated despair that he can only now start to laugh at. “I basically am just physically and mentally broken by the whole thing. I actually have health issues now; I had chronic exhaustion that I’m working through. It’s getting better, but there is that question: is this worth it? The endless pursuit of perfection is never finished, it’s a very painful process, but now it’s past the finish line I feel such relief, like a massive weight has been lifted.”
Happily, accumulating material is never a problem. From heartfelt, shimmering headbangers like I Lament, Run The Race and Elements, to the richly textured, pensive atmospheres of The Citadel, Woven and Heavy Load, great songs come to Colin naturally and abundantly, as if divinely bestowed from some otherworldly wellspring. “I’ll sit there and think, ‘Where did that come from?!’ It’s the best feeling in the world,” enthuses Colin. “This thing was just born – what did I do? I didn’t try, it just happened, like I’m a conduit for this spiritual, magical thing. I’m sure there is some skill involved, but I can’t put my finger on what! I’m sitting there moving my fingers around and then a song appears, it’s so weird and magical and special. I can’t stop doing it either, the songwriting is compulsive. I can’t get enough of it, I love it!“
As ever, Colin’s songwriting resounds with open-hearted emotional force, evoking joy and sorrow often in the same melody. A metal frontman of rare sensitivity, Colin has pushed himself to breaking point for his art. Opener I Lament was the last song to be written, and despite its Maidenesque jubilance, the lyrics came at a low point: “I was in a place where I was like, if I continue with these patterns of behaviour, where does this actually lead me? It’s a lot more honest songwriting, very reflective of where I’ve been for the last few years: a more introspective, doubting, darker place. But I feel like I’ve had a very significant spiritual shift over the past few weeks. I was still dealing with chronic exhaustion and depression, but I feel I’ve made a lot of progress physically, spiritually and mentally, so I’m viewing the album in a different way now.”
Wytch Hazel‘s beguiling juxtaposition of sorrow and joy is most profoundly evident on the closing partnership of Heavy Load and Healing Power, the world-weary, Sabbath-like dejection of the former giving way to the latter’s heavenly uplift. “I wanted it to have a happy ending, that just felt very Wytch Hazel,” affirms Colin. “I do believe music can heal. For me particularly songwriting is very therapeutic, I don’t think I’d be here if there wasn’t that outlet. I believe things have meanings and significance, I want my life to have that, and Healing Power is like, this actually means something. Music isn’t just a self-indulgent, entertainment thing, for me it’s a huge part of my life, very special, very magical and very meaningful. I want Wytch Hazel to be a force for good, a healing power“.
Helping in that regard is the new line-up, welcoming back original drummer Aaron Hay, who was there on Wytch Hazel‘s debut single in 2011 and 2012′s The Truth EP, alongside well-established oppos Alex Haslam and Andy Shackleton. “The band we’ve got at the moment is just the best bunch of lads,” beams Colin, “we’re having the best time touring together, we get on so well. The gigs have been a real highlight these last few years, and experiencing that as best mates together has been fantastic.” It’ll get even better in May, as Wytch Hazel are supporting Michael Schenker on the guitar legend’s My Years With UFO UK tour (“I can’t think about it for too long, he’s like a childhood hero,” confesses Colin). “I am incredibly privileged. Against all this painful stuff, I do have to hold in equal measure the wonderful adventure that it is to be in this band. There’s so much to be grateful for, too many things to count“.
