All Them Witches is a psychedelta blues band formed by Robby Staebler, Michael Parks, Jr., Ben McLeod and Allan Van Cleave, back in 2012. The band tries to keep a mystic atmosphere with their music production and music itself, defining their inspiration as a divine energy. They enter a room with no idea of what they’re going to create and the magic happens, according to vocalist and bassist, Parks. Just to give you an idea, the front man once reported that sometimes “he has visions that lead them to songs.”
I don’t know if any of these energies and magic that they talk about are real, but their music sure is proof that this is working very well. You will notice that atmosphere just from the very beginning of the album, which has an absolutely epic and sort of dark start.
Lightning at the Door starts with a guitar fading in very slowly, resulting in distorted chords. The music then leads up to that mystic sound with drums, marking very well its presence. The full band then comes in with vocals that recite the lyrics, telling a story of a “drunk bird” that died, and they were mourning the loss.
The lyrics are poetic, using a lot of metaphors. They don’t say what’s going on right off the bat, but you have to analyze them, discover the pseudonyms and figures of speech. The band definitely has roots of the blues in their songs. The second track, “When God Comes Back” is a great example; it has some psychedelic style to it as well, and maybe, that magical touch they so often talk about. They surely have a unique sound and composition.
The following tracks off the album have some diversification: folk, blues, country rock, heavy metal instrumental and even Celtic music. Each song, with its particularity, is a mystery box. With their unique mark, the band mixes all these genres in one album with an incredible flow. Sometimes, if you’re not aware, the music changes and you don’t realize it.
Lighting at the Door shows a unique sound, composition and originality at its finest. You should definitely give it a chance. A few things will become more clear about that magic said before. If you’re an open-minded fan of blues and psychedelic music, you can’t go wrong with this album. You can find more information about the band, its integrants, and tour dates here.