Amped (Seven Witches)

Better known for their love of "taking back the metal", Seven Witches underwent a great number of changes for their sixth album. Guitarist/bandleader Jack Frost remains, but the exiting members have since been replaced by Non-Fiction bassist Kevin Bolembach, Winters Bane drummer Jeff Curenton, and Satan/Watchtower vocalist Alan Tecchio, resulting in a much different sound. Musically, the album completely sheds the melodic sound of the band's past and completely embraces what were once mere modern hintings. Even the lyrics have changed, with the cheesy metal themes being abandoned in favor of even cheesier tales of real life and fantasy topics. Unfortunately, not all of the experiments are successful. . .

West Nile: Energetic mid-tempo riffs and solid wails open the opening track's introduction, the verses continue with soaring vocals interacting with harsher guitar chugs, the chorus brings the wails back in, the bridge offers a more melodic breakdown, and the lyrics deal with the virus of the same name. A solid opener, though the song itself is somewhat awkwardly sequenced.
7 out of 10

Sunnydale High: Lyrically inspired by the popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, this song is one of the album's more accessible tracks. It comes in with interesting percussion and a dark mid-tempo chug during the introduction, the verses continue with some solid vocal lines thrown in, and the bridge offers a fairly decent refrain. It may be closer to the band's older style than some of the other songs on here, but it ultimately lacks a truly strong hook and fails to truly make an impact.
6 out of 10

Dishonor Killings: Dark bass playing opens this song in a sinister fashion with another gritty guitar chug soon joining in, the verses continue with awkwardly sequenced vocal lines and the chug retained beneath it all, the chorus offers a more uplifting refrain, and the solo section brings in some interesting effects. It had potential but it ultimately falters due to its awkward structure and even worse lyrics ("I believe that it's each to their own/Except when honor killings are the norm/Can't convince me/That offing your sister ain't wrong/Or your wife, or your mom/That's the point of this song/Inhumane tribal custom/I bid you so long"). I do believe that the topic at hand is quite a severe one, but the wording could've been a lot more poetic. Not to mention there should be some kind of law against breaking the musical fourth wall. . .
6 out of 10

GP Fix: Sounds of a revving motorcycle open this song in a slightly cliche fashion before going into a mid-tempo chug similar to that of "West Nile", the verses continue with more awkward sequencing with a solid mid-tempo chug beneath it all, the pre-chorus throws in some decent layering, the chorus is more uplifting but not as powerful as it could be, and the bridge offers a decent breakdown. Another track that could've been better if it had been structured better. And there needs to be another rule stating that songs about motorcycles HAVE to be set at a fast pace (Manowar's "Warlord" for instance. . .).
5 out of 10

Be: Now we come to the album's ballad. The introduction comes in with some sweet piano playing and echoing guitars in the background, the vocals continue with nicely building vocals and a steady guitar chug that manages to work with the song's atmosphere, the chorus is another uplifting, and the solo section is simple but effective. It may not be as strong as a few of the band's past ballads, but it is one of the better tracks on the album.
7 out of 10

Fame Gets You Off: Another menacing set of guitar squeals open this song in a dark fashion, the opening verse throws in some interestingly echoing vocals, the following verses go at a more energetic pace with more aggressive vocal lines, the chorus provides an interesting breakdown and soaring vocal trade-offs, and the song closes out on a fairly memorable breakdown. It's a little similar to "Dishonor Killings", but it features a good number of musical improvements. Unfortunately, the lyrics weren't so lucky ("I'm not impressed by anyone/No not anymore/When Mr.Orange Juice can rush one/Last yard out the door/Jacko jackin' children off is just beyond belief/Acquit him just like Mr.Blake/Set filth loose on the streets"). . .
6 out of 10

Flesh For Fantasy: Finally, we get back to an old Seven Witches tradition; the cover song that appears on almost every album. I can't compare this version to the one made famous by Billy Idol, but the track does feature some neat guitar/bass trade-offs during the introduction, strong croons during the introduction, gritty vocal trade-offs during the chorus, spooky effects throughout that add to the atmosphere, and a somewhat silly chant at the end. A good song but it is a little sad when a cover song may one of the best tracks on the album. What stopped Tecchio from singing like this on the originals?
7 out of 10

Red: A particularly erratic guitar groove opens this song's introduction with a more energetic drum beat behind it, the verses suddenly go at a bass heavy mid-tempo pace with soaring vocals thrown in, and the chorus is another melodic segment that unfortunately doesn't quite deliver. Another song that sounds like it could've had potential. . .
6 out of 10

Widows and Orphans: Closing the album out is a song with a bit of an epic flavor. The introduction comes in with a mix of crashing chords and melodic piano playing with solid accompanying wails, the verses continue with a Maiden-esque gallop and more soaring vocals thrown in, the chorus is another uplifting segment, and the solo section is similar to the introduction in style. A pretty smooth closer that makes me wish more of the album could've been like this. . .
7 out of 10

Overall, this album gets 57 out of 90, 64%, and 3 stars. A few of the modern aesthetics may attract to listeners that were previously turned off by the band's classic metal past, but the reverse may be also applied and divide the fanbase that the band originally had. Personally, I think it has potential but ultimately doesn't match up and may not be worth the risk for a newcomer. Get something from the James Rivera era or "Xiled to Infinity and One" first. . .