Closet Witch are a grindcore band from the US and this is their second album.
Sometimes, you just need to GRIIIIIINNNND. But not just any kind of grind; no, sometimes you need to grind and burn with the sort of visceral, idiosyncratic grind that leaves scars. For times like that, you have a band like Closet Witch.
Clocking in at a full seven minutes shorter than the band’s self-titled debut album from 2018, Chiaroscuro is an absolutely vicious beast. Genre tags such as grindcore, powerviolence, punk, mathcore, and hardcore are all relevant here, but all pale next to the sheer fury of Closet Witch’s brutal delivery. This is a band that are not messing around, and Chiaroscuro leaves no prisoners.
This is a gripping tale of violence, chaos, and savagery. Chiaroscuro is raw, nasty, and unfettered. The songs are mayhem and carnage personified, unleashing a furious assault that’s withering in its intensity, and murderous in its jagged aggression.
If you’re acclimatised to this sort of relentless grinding rage then there’s much to like here. Chiaroscuro is a satisfying and enjoyable experience, unfolding not only with serrated brutality, but also with violent depths given atypical shape by mathcore finesse and subtle atmospheric synths. Closet Witch know their ferocious art well, and this album is an exemplar of passionate, well-crafted grindcore potency.
A frenzied mix of Insect Warfare, Phobia, Knoll, Discordance Axis, Full of Hell, Unyielding Love, and a touch of Nasum, Chiaroscuro is a musical wrecking ball.
Do not miss out on this if you’re a fan of grinding extremity.
Wonderbox Metal 