Anyone who doesn't like Man-Witch either didn't watch enough Saturday-morning TV as a kid, or is an incurable sourpuss. Taking the inherent absurdities of heavy metal to cartoonish extremes, Man-Witch's costumed quartet Jurgen A. Rocknow, Stella Helveta von Man-Witch, the Doctor and Benjamin Franklinstein, and Max Headwound (a/k/a Covered In Bees' Tristan Gallagher, Hatchetface and the Vipers' Salli Wason, and Jason LaFrance and Adam Cogswell of Confusatron, respectively) have returned from an eight-month hiatus armed with a new album that will split your face open quicker than a troll's battle-axe. The title, Orkchops In Battlesauce, is a perfect example of the boogie-van-mural-meets-Monty-Python lyrics found in songs like "Come Get Some Sword" and (deep breath) "Superultramegaterrifyafearinator." Don't be fooled by the clever wordplay, though. These guys swing a family-sized broadsword of hair-pinwheeling punked-up metal that cannot be denied by even the staunchest of headbangers.
Not missing a single beat despite having played together most recently at Halloween 2008, Man-Witch cranked through a set of old favorites and newer numbers, all of which can be found on their new album (unleashed by local label the Entertainment Experiment) save one: "Ride The Night Moose," a song inspired by an arcane Mystery Science Theater 3000 reference and a Bob Seger pun. A fun-loving bunch to be sure, Man-Witch interspersed their set with the kind of banter you would expect from a band that writes lyrics like, "Off comes your block/when I'm cleaning your clock/I'll kick in your face with a fist full of rock." If you're in need of something that can make you bang your head and laugh with equal force, Man-Witch is just what the mad doctor ordered.
myspace.com/rimeoftheancientmanwitch
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New England Music News
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