The forests and wilds of Hungary are home to myriad folk tales and ancient practices. It’s these that two-piece WitcheR - keyboardist/vocalist Karola Gere and guitarist/ vocalist Roland Neubauer - channel into black metal as archaic and mystical as their surroundings.
“We live in a secluded village where, believe it or not, the belief in witches was still very much alive just a few decades ago,” Roland details on the roots of their obsession. “I didn’t need to look back as far as the Middle Ages – it was enough to just listen to the stories of the elders. We live right next to the forest, so every day we are confronted with the beauty and force of nature.”
"Close your eyes and let us transport you to another era"
Roland Neubauer
A complementary pair in their witchy preoccupation - Roland is more interested in the history and traditions, while Karola actively practises - WitcheR’s music feels steeped in this ancient connection between the land and its pagan customs. Their fourth album, Öröklet (‘Eternity’), explores the endurance of this culture that, despite the evermoving world, has never truly died.
Article continues below“Among witches, the passing down of knowledge is especially important and deeply intimate,” considers Roland. “The album cover depicts a young witch bidding farewell to an old one, who in truth does not die, because her knowledge and spirit live on.”
It’s a deeply romantic idea that means WitcheR’s black metal is triumphant and even reassuring, rather than violent or hyper-aggressive. For Roland, their music is more a sanctuary of escapism and calm than an assault.
“Just close your eyes and let us transport you to another era,” he says. “Of course, we know that many people look down on those who look to their past or traditions. But I’d rather be a fool in my own world than a ‘normal’ person in the modern world.”
Öröklet is out now.
IN SHORT
SOUNDS LIKE: A quietly burning wicker fire amidst a primeval woodland
FOR FANS OF: Summoning, Dimmu Borgir, Caladan Brood
LISTEN TO: Örökség
