Sword and Sorcery is the third album by the Finish band WITCHBLOOD. Here we have an interesting enigma as WITCHBLOOD belong to that rare breed of black metal band who have somehow managed to go almost entirely unnoticed in the metal underground, despite having a number of things that will intrigue those who take the time to really listen to their music. The project is lead by a woman which uses the pseudonym Iron Meggido, who provides the vocals and all of the instruments with the exception of the drums. Drumming is provided by a revolving cast of skins men. While one-man projects are a dime a dozen in underground black metal, one-woman metal black metal projects are a bit more of a rarity, but the real impressive thing is that all of the instrumentation here is performed with grim refinement and harsh fury. The vocals can take some time to digest, but keep in mind this is the inner demon of a woman being unleashed upon the black metal underground. Iron Meggido truly sounds possessed, recalling the utterly demonic screams of Hat or Pest from Gorgoroth in their primal, inhuman fury and form. As you acclimate to the vocals you will notice the utter rage, contempt, and passion delivered in this album as a whole. If you are interested in digesting an underground album that takes a few spins to really sink in, look no further than WITCHBLOOD.
