All Them Witches – Nothing as the Ideal

Today we have the sixth album of All Them Witches. Nothing as the Ideal (2020) had a mission to at least be as good as his previous album AT W (2018). And sadly I can say that he has narrowly lost the battle. Now I tell you why.

Those from Nashville are a fundamental band in the world of the neo-psychedelic. They have managed to mold a very original sound that drinks directly from blues with the essence of hard rock. This has led them to be compared to gangs as diverse as The Black Keys, Kyuss or Led zeppelin.

On their sixth album, the second as a trio, they manage to improve their inimitable guitar sound compared to AT W. They also evade more in the quieter passages, leaving in the background the rockier cuts that lived with mastery in AT W.

Nothing as the Ideal works perfectly as a complement to AT W. There the rock It overwhelmed us, here the emotion and tranquility hit us. Maybe I miss a little more punch, but after several listens and when you already know what there is, the album is improving a lot. The album is much more progressive and intelligent than its predecessor.

Work on the guitar of McLeod it is superb. Whoever was able to see them live in Barcelona a few months ago knows what I am talking about. Here his work is exhilarating and even insulting. The work of Robby staebler it is less showy but manages to provide an essential rhythmic base to the sound of the entire album.

Regarding the songs as independent entities, I can highlight several important moments.

“Saturnine & Iron Jaw” opens the album extremely slowly for just over two minutes. Then the true power of the band kicks in. Riffs very cut Stoner, Charles Michael Parks we fall in love with the voices and the melodies look like never in the second line. With almost seven minutes, “Saturnine & Iron Jaw” make us fall in love with their rock again.

“Enemy of My Enemy” contains a few riffs relentless and wild guitar players. Of the best riffs that I remember in the band’s catalog. A song is even short at three and a half minutes long. As the album starts we run into “Everest”, a beautiful instrumental cut of two minutes.

With “See You Next Fall” we find the band in full psychedelic heyday. We are in front of a song that borders ten minutes and at no time it bores you. With a great staging, this song manages to capture your full attention thanks to the progressions and the different layers it contains. A hypnotic song from start to finish.

“Lights Out” is a more rock song with a sound stoner – garage very accomplished. Three minutes of rock They are contemplations or flourishes. And finally, as a closing, we find “Rats in Ruin”, with more than nine minutes. A very intense song, not because of its vitality but because of the feelings it conveys. An upward cut that starts very slowly with an exquisite vocal performance. As it progresses we increase the revolutions to reach 2/3 in an impeccable way with a mastery worthy of admiration. The best moments of Nothing as the Ideal occur in this song.

And we still have “The Children of Coyote Woman” and “41” are the weakest cuts on the album but this is not an insult either. Both songs are remarkable but do not enjoy the mastery of the rest.

All Them Witches is an extraordinary rock band. So much AT W and Nothing as the Ideal they are his greatest achievement to date. Two compatible albums that nurture each other in a masterful way. I feel totally lucky to be able to enjoy the music of this trio of artists.

Beto Lagarda

Rock in all its extensions