Almost a decade after the release of their previous full length album, Swedish band Witchcraft released ‘IDAG’, a heavily atmospheric collection of songs that demonstrated their blend of doom and occult folk music very effectively. Clearly keen to make up for lost time, this follow up comes just ten months later – a rush-release by Witchcraft standards – but the five tracks that make up ‘A Sinner’s Child’ are clearly not left-overs or also-rans of any kind.

To kick things off, ‘Drömmen Om Död Och Förruttnelse’ shares a piece of proto metal straight from the bowels of 1972. A chunky riff hits upon a repetitive groove with immediate effect, capturing one of Witchcraft’s most accessible riffs to date. At its heart, there are sounds that could’ve been inspired by the first two Blue Oyster Cult albums, such is the retro tone of the guitar work and prominent drum sound. By the end of the first verse and chorus, this has shared enough power to attract an audience, even before a heavier riff is used as a bridge, or a bluesy lead guitar accentuates the retro appeal even further. Being a Witchcraft recording, of course, this doesn’t settle for merely being a standard throwback to the past, or an easily accessible workout, and main man Magnus Pelander tops everything with a disorienting and slightly warbled vocal that makes everything feel a little more off-kilter, and shares a Swedish lyric that further ensures that some listeners will have to work a little harder to reap those listening rewards. It’s an interesting start to this release, but it could be strongly argued that ‘A Sinner’s Child’ has a couple of much bigger treats up its sleeve.

Bringing everything a little closer to the sounds of the previous two releases, the live sounding ‘Even Darker Days’ is a stripped down acoustic number, where Pelander allows his natural vocal to glide over some sparsely arranged guitar lines. There are moments where the melody teases with something of an acid-folk stance, sounding like buried treasure from the late sixties, but the slow and haunting sounds actually have the air of something even older – almost medieval, in a way. The bleak arrangement allows for a lot of listener reflection, and in some ways, what’s not played here is just as important as the sounds that emerge. This is a great exercise in minimalism, and those who like it will love it. Then, throwing an obvious bone to the older fans who came hoping for some classic sounding doom, ‘Själen Reser Sig’ shares a Sabbath-drenched guitar riff against an echoing drum, really capturing the band’s love of a live in the studio sound. Although this relatively safe workout will be an instant hit with some of the metal crowd, it’s actually this release’s weak link, purely for playing so safely. Nevertheless, there are moments where the fuzzy lead guitar and crushing drum sounds hint at something pleasingly intense, and as a stand-alone listen it works well enough.

Best of all, and throwing the absolutely most extreme of curveballs, the title cut abandons the “usual” rock or dark folk stance for some very radio friendly pop-rock, driven by surf-ish melodies, steady sounding late 50s rhythms and a flowing vocal that’s has far more in common with retro pop than any kind of hard rock or metal you’d care to name. There are fleeting moments where this sounds like a cover of something from the early John Mellencamp catalogue; it has nothing in common with prior Witchcraft jams, and yet, it sounds great. The mix of warm bass and light guitar melodies offer enough greatness to make this track really shine, even when the music is never a natural fit with Pelander’s very affected vocal style. Adopting another melodic stance, loaded with clean guitar lines, ‘Sinner’s Clear Confusion’ also shows off a more commercial side to Witchcraft’s talents, this time bringing slightly jazz influenced guitar lines to a pop rocker that sits comfortably with a very light rhythm. Whereas the musical aspects of the title track were the most appealing, this time around, it’s the lyrics that take centre stage here, with a protagonist calling out to an unseen presence, calling for help amid “a personal war”, musing about a sandman who appears surprisingly young and ultimately hoping to find a prayer that will somehow help pull everything together. There’s a spiritual element to this piece that feels incredibly personal, but without ever becoming too deep to be unrelatable. A few of Magnus’s vocals are a little more wayward than usual, but this, in some ways, adds extra colour to the uneven feeling within the song’s narrative. Granted, this won’t be for everyone, but it’s certainly another bold track, even by Witchcraft standards.

Each of the five cuts here are different. Often different from each other, and even different at times from previous Witchcraft recordings. It’s great to hear Magnus completely disregarding expectations and throwing caution to the wind, doing whatever takes his fancy. In this respect, it makes Witchcraft a very interesting prospect at the time of this release, and a project that no longer seems to fit the chosen moniker. The first listen is fascinating; subsequent spins cement any early thoughts that ‘A Sinner’s Child’ is a very bold work. Whether the material will be received well by some of the fans, of course, is a different matter…

March 2026