Symphony for the Devil (Witchery album)

Symphony For The Devil
Studio album by Witchery
Released	24 September 2001
Recorded	Berno Studio, Sweden, February 2001
Genre	Thrash metal
Length	46:49
Label	Original release Necropolis Reissue Music For Nations/Sony BMG
Producer	Witchery and Berno Paulson
Witchery chronology
Dead, Hot And Ready (1999) Symphony For The Devil (2001) Don't Fear the Reaper (2006)

Symphony For The Devil is Witchery's third full-length studio album after Restless & Dead in 1998 and Dead, Hot And Ready in 1999. "Symphony..." was released in 2001 (see 2001 in music) and has received underground acclaim from metal fanzines and webzines.^[1] The album continues in the style of previous Witchery releases, with thrash metal riffing and solos, but with a black and death metal influence. This album sees Martin Axe of Opeth on drums, after the departure of Mique. The reissue of the album in 2007 uses slightly different cover art.

Musical influences

Since most of the music and lyrics on the album are written by Jensen, much of the album is similar in sound to his main band, The Haunted. This involves fast paced thrash riffing with melodic solos in most of the songs, though there is very little evidence of the Gothenburg sound in "Symphony..." unlike The Haunted. Jensen (guitar), Toxine (vocals) and Martin Axe (drums) all previously played in Satanic Slaughter and Toxine, Jensen and Richard Corpse (guitar) were in Seance. This leaves only Sharlee D'Angelo (bass) of Arch Enemy fame, who has no previous experience with other band members.^[2]

Given each musician's other projects, the tight and attacking sound of "Symphony..." is unsurprising. The lyrics include topics such as black magic, death and the occult, similar to the themes explored in Witchery's first three releases and also those of Satanic Slaughter and Seance.

Track listing

All music and lyrics written by Jensen unless otherwise stated.

1. "The Storm" - 3:34
2. "Unholy Wars" - 3:12 (music by Jensen/Corpse)
3. "Inquisition" - 3:57
4. "Omens" - 4:30
5. "Bone Mill" - 2:41
6. "None Buried Deeper..." - 3:58
7. "Wicked" - 2:59
8. "Called For By Death" - 4:58
9. "Hearse Of The Pharoahs" - 5:07
10. "Shallow Grave" - 4:24 (music by Jensen/Corpse)
11. "Enshrined"* - 4:15 (music by Jensen/Corpse, lyrics by D'Angelo/Toxine)
12. "The One Within"* - 3:14 (music by Jensen/Toxine, lyrics by D'Angelo/Toxine)

Tracks marked with a * do not appear on all versions of "Symphony..."

The Japanese edition (TFCK-87249) contains the same tracks but "Enshrined" is track 6, "None Buried Deeper..." is track 7, "Wicked" is track 8, "Called For By Death" is track 9, "The One Within" is track 10, "Hearse Of The Pharoahs" is track 11 and "Shallow Grave" is track 12.

Personnel

• Toxine - vocals
• Jensen - rhythm guitar (written as "riffguitar" in the album notes)
• Richard Corpse - lead guitar (written as "sologuitar")
• Sharlee D'Angelo - bass (written as "Bassguitar")
• Martin Axe - drums

References