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intothewellsabyss
Nov 26, 20224 min read

Witchery - In His Infernal Majesty's Service (2016)

FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…



On November 25, 2016, Witchery released their sixth full-length studio album In His Infernal Majesty's Service via Century Media Records.



This album is the first for vocalist Angus Norder and drummer Chris Barkensjö (LIK), replacing Emperor Magus Caligula and Martin Axenrot respectively.



Background:

Following the release of 2010’s Witchkrieg, Witchery played a score of festivals in support of the release, including a tour of Japan together with Vader and Watain.



Unfortunately, before the band were to enter the studio to record the follow-up to Witchkreig, they were plagued once again with yet another lineup change. While former Dark Funeral vocalist Emperor Magus Caligula assumed live session duties for a while (replacing former Marduk/Devian frontman Legion), it wasn’t until right before sessions began that guitarist and band leader Patrik Jensen managed to gather the right (new) members for the recordings of In His Infernal Majesty's Service...



In an interview with Blabbermouth he explained;

"We've sadly had to part ways with two members prior to this album; longtime band member Martin Axenrot (ex-Opeth) and live member (and recording member-to-be) Emperor Magus Caligula. Martin's departure is purely down to him being too busy with his other musical endeavors and Caligula had to leave the band over an unfortunate medical condition involving his hearing. These are both serious losses for the band and we wish them all the best in the future. We have, however, been able to find more than able replacements for our two lost brethren: Chris Barkensjö on the drums and Angus Norder on vocals. They both bring fresh blood and fresh ideas to the band and you can clearly hear that they both have made it necessary for us 'old members' to step up our game a notch or two!”

In celebration of the 20th year of Witchery’s existence, In His Infernal Majesty's Service exhibits a distinguished lineup consisting of original members Patrik Jensen (guitar; The Haunted), Rikard Rimfält (guitar; Seance) and Sharlee D'Angelo (bass, Arch Enemy), alongside new devotees to the league of His Infernal Majesty, Angus Norder (vocals; Nekrokraft) and Chris Barkensjö (drums, LIK).



On In His Infernal Majesty's Service, which was produced and mixed by Daniel Bergstrand at Dug Out Studio (Behemoth, In Flames, Meshuggah), Witchery follows the same path, continuing their infamous tradition of combining elements of Thrash, Speed, Death, Black and traditional Heavy Metal (of course, the tongue-in-cheek attitude is ever present).


"Musically, I wanted to make this album more raw than the previous ones. Perhaps as raw as the first album even. I really didn't want to over-work things, as I myself enjoy music that comes more from feeling and enthusiasm than music that has been contemplated and construed.” — Patrik Jensen
"This album is recorded by Daniel Bergstrand at his Dug Out Studio in Uppsala, Sweden. Even though Daniel has been a high-profile name for ages within the Metal community, I've never had the opportunity to work with him before.” — Patrik Jensen
"I have to say that Daniel is really easy to work with. All around a great guy and he immediately understood what I was looking for production-wise when I spoke to him about the album." — Patrik Jensen
"My main request was that I wanted a raw and unpolished production. I really dislike productions where you can hear that the band has had ages to complete just one song. Where there might be a month's worth of coffee breaks between the guitar takes etc. I wanted it to sound like a real band that is playing together. My second request was that I wanted the drums to sound like on Van Halen's 1984 album. I seriously love that aggressive middy drum sound.” — Patrik Jensen
"I think Daniel did an amazing job and I know that he rates this production very highly on his own personal list of albums he's worked on…” — Patrik Jensen

The album art for In His Infernal Majesty's Service was created by Andreas Diaz Pettersson. Of the artwork, Jensen said;

"Longtime friend of the band… and designer of many things associated with Witchery, Andreas Diaz Pettersson was once again called upon to create the artwork for our new album. He has a great ability to create artwork that really stands out within the scene, without compromising on quality or with the essence of the band. We are very pleased with what he has created for us, and we think the artwork is a great addition to the overall massive quality and appeal we truly believe this album to have. Stoked!"

Critical Reception:

Giving the album a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, Angry Metal Guy’s Lord Lucan stated;

“While I always try my best not to pre-judge what a record is going to sound like prior to firing it up for the first time, I freely admit that I wasn’t expecting greatness here. I figured that if the band hadn’t released anything that really took my fancy in almost two decades of trying then, realistically speaking, this probably wasn’t going to change anytime soon. How wrong I was. With a freshly rejuvenated lineup, Witchery have written and executed an absolute monster of a record that is as subtle as a shovel to the face and absolutely bags of fun for it. Almost 20 years in the making, In His Infernal Majesty’s Service is proof that good things can and do come to those who wait. Or stumble across them by accident while writing for a metal review website.”

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells



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