Witches Hammer - Final Storm LP

(Description from NWN!) ANTI-GOTH 798 First pressing of 400 180 gram black vinyl 180 gram purple vinyl 3mm jacket 12" insert CANADIAN SPEED METAL CULT! Forty years in the making, Final Storm serves as the triumphant final chapter in Canadian Speed Metal cult, Witches Hammer's history. Rather than reinventing themselves, the band has remained faithful to the speed and thrash metal sound that has defined their legacy, delivering nine tracks that seamlessly stand alongside their previous two acclaimed albums. The record bridges past and present, combining material from the band's earliest days with newly forged compositions to create a fitting Final Storm. Two songs on the album trace their origins directly to Witches Hammer's legendary demo era: "Mantle of Death" from the band's 1985 debut demo and "Death of No Reprieve" from their 1986 follow-up. Alongside these resurrected classics are two completely new tracks, "Nocturnal Oblivion" and the instrumental "Malicious Assault." The remaining songs are built from a treasure trove of unreleased riffs, rehearsal tapes, and basement recordings created during the band's formative years in the 1980s. Much of the material was painstakingly assembled from decades-old cassettes, with the band collaborating to complete and refine unfinished ideas into fully realized songs. Lyrically, Final Storm continues Witches Hammer's tradition of drawing inspiration from a wide spectrum of dark subjects, ranging from mythology, religion, and literature to film and real-world themes. Musically, the album remains rooted in the classic metal records that shaped the band, channeling the spirit of albums such as Seven Churches, Hell Awaits, Sentence of Death, British Steel, Killers, and Bonded by Blood. The album's striking cover artwork carries a story of its own. Originally drawn by Wes Gauley in 1988 for an album that was never released, the piece remained unseen for nearly four decades before being carefully restored by Beatrice Share. Intended to adorn what could have been Witches Hammer's debut full-length, it now serves as the cover for their final statement; a fitting and symbolic conclusion to a journey that began in the underground metal scene of the 1980s. Final Storm is both a celebration of the band's past and a powerful final testament to the enduring spirit of the Canadian Speed Metal cult.