Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s long-running traditional metal veterans, Icarus Witch, have released their new single, “Rise Of The Witches”. A lyric video for the song can be found below.
When a band’s been featured on outlets like The Occult Unveiled podcast and Witches & Pagans Magazine in addition to the world’s biggest hard rock magazines, you can bet a new single called “Rise Of The Witches” isn’t going to follow the cliche Hollywood trope of Witches as evil monsters.
Icarus Witch founder Jason Myers, a craft practitioner of nearly four decades and a priest in the Cabot Tradition of Witchcraft, explains why you’d win that bet. “Many of the Witches in my circle are gifted artists, teachers, healers, herbalists, environmentalists, and compassionate activists – a far cry from the stereotypical villains the media often portrays us as. Yet despite enjoying more legal protection now than previous generations did, today’s pagans are still misunderstood and often suffer from dangerous systematic discrimination. As a genre, underground metal has long been about empowering marginalized people to stand together against hypocrites and bullies. ‘Rise of the Witches’ is a metallic battle cry for modern occultists that emphatically declares to close-minded zealots – You’re done here, never again.”
To infuse additional power into this sonic spell, twenty-one actual Witches were summoned to lend their voices to the backing vocals on the chorus. When you hear this mystical congregation chanting “We are witches we shall rise, united far and wide” that is the sound of wise folks who are not afraid to fight for freedom.
While the lyrics came together through inspired automatic writing and make up one chapter of a 9-song concept album, it was the music for “Rise Of The Witches” that came first.
Guitarist and co-writer Quinn Lukas, a renowned music instructor and producer himself, explains how those catchy melodic hooks materialized. “The riffs for ‘Rise of the Witches” came effortlessly. The main chorus riff was simply inspired by late-night jamming through a new amp that I was testing out for the first time. I just slid my hand down the neck and that was the first thing I played. From there it takes on a few twists and turns. I’ve always liked the way that big colorful chords sound when ringing out against interesting rhythmic patterns. I think I get a lot of that from players like Jake E. Lee, Michael Wilton, and Chris DeGarmo.”
Icarus Witch’s seventh release for Cleopatra Records is an occult sci-fi concept album entitled No Devil Lived On. The story is a futuristic reimagining of the Aradia mythos that begins as Earth is nearing ecological and societal collapse. An unlikely alliance of Witches, Wizards, Shamans, and other dimensional beings unite to create a strategy to rid the planet of its greedy mortal overlords. In the process, the old gods take on a new futuristic form in order to communicate with the witches of tomorrow who seek to restore nature’s balance and reset Project Gaia before it’s too late. In other words – Space Witches.
No Devil Lived On will be released globally on October 27, just in time for Samhain. Pre-order vinyl and CD here. Pre-save digital edition here.
The album’s cover art was created by Aubrianna Myers.
Tracklisting:
"Heaven’s Ghetto"
"Stranger Than Angels"
"Last Night On Earth"
"10,000 Light Years From Home"
"No Devil Lived On"
"A Heartbeat Away"
"Rise Of The Witches"
"Shadow Chaser"
"Starseed Trilogy: I. The Emerald Tablet II. Ruler Of Arcana III. And I Am You"
"Rise Of The Witches" lyric video:
"10,000 Light Years From Home" lyric video:
Icarus Witch lineup:
Andrew D'Cagna - vocals
Quinn Lukas - guitar
Jason Myers - bass, synthesizer
Noah Skiba - drums
(Photo - Aubrianna Myers)
