BEWITCHED - Rise of the Antichrist (Retrospective Review)

Written by: Blackie Skulless

It’s always a good time finding older extreme metal bands that were ahead of their time. In the era between the thrash revival bands and the prime-time of the genre’s popularity existed acts that bridge that gap, for better or for worse. Sweden’s Bewitched arose at an unfortunate time for their style, cranking out longer records during the boom of the CD with a decent following but overall flying under the radar. However, if there’s one of their records that really does it for me, it’s record number four, 2002’s Rise of the Antichrist.

The early 2000s would lay the groundwork for thrash revival to take the world by storm, with the Toxic Holocaust and Municipal Waste types being pivotal in their respective styles. However, I’m of the firm belief that Bewitched added the slightest blackened tint onto an otherwise hardcore-flavored thrash burner over a decade before Power Trip would even break real ground. Much of this record sports minimal in regards to blast-beats, tremolos, or degraded production, yet their evil themes and crushing attitude makes it fit nicely right beside the likes of Bastardizer or Diabolic Night. Thus, it acts like a melting pot of styles that could have given way to all sorts of bands long before their time, but probably didn’t.

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For one, the vocals have that grit and snarl with a clear coat of clarity that matches the transparent but tough production. The title track is one of my favorites in the way it carries all of this weight thanks to its massive riffs and drum-kicks that echo through the atmosphere, still leaving room for a solo covered in melody. Perhaps the hardcore tints come in on the more stomping moments like what carries “Victim Of The Cult,” but I’d even argue that the more straightforward thrash numbers show this in attitude alone. Regardless of the direction, the overall flow of this is truly immaculate.
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Filling in the cracks of these nuances are almost always what will help a really good album feel even greater, and Rise of the Antichrist is no exception. “Hell’s Triumph” takes all of this and lays out an explosive gallop that feels like a literal invasion from Hell, boasting a wonderful balance of ferocious speed and a slower march. This is also where you’ll get your most obvious taste of blackened eruption in the vocals and drum-bursts, as an added touch. On the other hand, “The Ripper’s Return” shows a more traditional heavy metal backbone under its thrashy abrasion, while “Bewitched By Evil” boasts some of the punkiest colors. All of this is held together by its consistent atmosphere and dark themes, never stepping out of place.

It’s rare that I find something so unique that’s still easily comparable to other bands, and I feel like that’s both due to its time of release and its mix of flavors. A record coated in Satanism and Anti-Christianity under the thrash umbrella that opts for hardcore over blackened influence is already neat as is. Being able to still make it still feel like it fits under the blackened umbrella anyway earns it all the more props from me. I name-dropped a lot of bands this time around, if any of those appeal to you, this is worth your time.

Bewitched - Rise Of The Antichrist was originally released June 28th, 2002 and re-released September 25th, 2020 via Osmose Productions. Find it here.

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Bewitched can be found at their official website
Cover art by Per Johansson