782. Witchfinder General / Death Penalty. 1982. 4/5

If you were to only hear the music on this album, you could probably be persuaded that it was from some long lost Black Sabbath songs that have been in a closet for 40 years. A closer listen would then leave you with some doubts, as the guitar isn't perfectly like Tony, and the bass is certainly not as intricate as Geezer. Of course, then you hear the vocals, and you know it isn't Ozzy. Despite all of this, you know where the roots of this music comes from, and it is deep in the heart of 1970's Black Sabbath. So, can the music survive on its own feet, without the obvious comparisons? Initially no, but the more you listen to the album the more it becomes its own entity, and you can judge it on its own merits.

Having only found this album in the past couple of years during a hunt for all music of the period, it is a difficult thing to listen to it with a view to the fact that it is almost 35 years since its release. Albums from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that I have listen to for 30+ years generally hold a place close to my heart, but they are a known entity both then and now. With an album such as Death Penalty I am coming in very late in the day, and need to be able to put in to perspective the place it came from. In doing so, here is yet another band with an excellent debut album that it is hard to imagine they were unable to go on and make a career - at least a longer career - out of the music industry. They may well have a sound that imitates a certain other band, but they have taken that and managed to create an album around it that does not copy what came before, but honours that by utilising that and moving forward with their own music.
"Invisible Hate" could well be about everything in the band's lives at the time they wrote the song. Lyrically it appears they are getting stuck into record companies, girlfriends and drugs, but really there's a bit too much there to interpret well. The mention of beer towards the end of the song does make me feel better about not knowing though.

I've fought my hate now here comes joy
How I fought it I don't know oh boy
Some say God, some say faith
I say sex, drugs, rock and beer
My my my my my my, my beer

"Free Country" kicks in faster and starts into a drug anthem, no doubt the title of the song proclaiming that they feel you should be able to imbibe whatever it is you feel like. "Death Penalty" chugs along, invoking death for murderers and the such rather than a life in prison. Touchy subject, but one they were not afraid to confront.
"No Stayer" starts off with instrumental piece dominated by the guitar, and just when you think that it is only going to be an instrumental, and fade out, it kicks into the vocals and moves onward. Well played! This is also their 'girl' song, their contribution to the sex part of the music industry. At least lyrically they were trying to cover all the bases when it came to topics that typically bands were writing about, before they moved onto the darker side of things.
The band title track "Witchfinder General" is probably their best known song, and one that I knew well before coming into the album. The guitar riff, playing off against the driving drum beat, keeps the pace of the song going, and the catchy easy singing lyrics and excellent solo break make this song the highlight of the album for me. Then we move into "Burning a Sinner" and "R.I.P." which all move with the same subject matter, as well as musically continuing the excellent blend of guitar, bass and drums in that doom metal gloom that they hold throughout the album.

Overall I really enjoy this album. It is another of those albums that I wish I had found in my teenage years, because it has that chemistry that I really believe I would have loved at that time, and would have taken on board in a big way. I cannot help but feel differently about an album tat I have loved and played to death for 30 odd years, compared to one of the same era that I have only recently discovered and have heard in a different era from that which it was recorded in. I think it would change my rating of it quite a bit. It would be fair to say however, that this album has/had a lot going for it. I especially like "No Stayer" and "Witchfinder General", these are the two songs that showcase to me just how well this band could operate. The remainder of the album is above average as well. Perhaps it is a relic, but it is one well worth visiting, or revisiting.

Rating:  No stayer 'cos it's Saturday night tonight  4/5

Listen to full album here