Cruz Del Sur Music is proud to announce the signing of York, Pennsylvania vintage proto-metal purveyors SPELLBOOK. The band’s debut album, “Magick & Mischief”, is due for release in September.
Originally formed in 2007 under the name of WITCH HAZEL by lead singer Nate Tyson and drummer Nicholas Zinn, WITCH HAZEL had three self-released albums to their credit, “Forsaken Remedies” (2012), “Nocturnity” (2015) and “Otherwordly” (2018). The band, rounded out by guitarist Andy Craven and bassist Seibert Lowe, nearly changed their name before the release of “Otherwordly”, but decided to make the switch to SPELLBOOK when its current formation started writing the material that would become “Magick & Mischief”.
“Eleven years named one thing wasn’t easy to get past, but we realized to take this to the next step it was necessary,” says Zinn. “We liked the idea of having the song ‘The SpellBook’ from ‘Forsaken Remedies’ being the representing name that ties the past, present and future together. We’re very proud of our past, though, and plan to still play some WITCH HAZEL songs live, especially those from ‘Otherworldly’.”
SPELLBOOK was brought to Cruz Del Sur Music directly by the label’s A&R rep and WHILE HEAVEN WEPT main man Tom Phillips who reveals how he was “tipped off” about the band: “A good friend of mine Mike Smith pulled me aside to suggest I check out this band WITCH HAZEL he recently had included as part of a tour package… more or less raving about how good they were…and boy, was he right! In an age where we’ve seen a number of retro-inspired acts rising in popularity that ultimately come across as stale or reeking of gimmicks, WH ticked all the right boxes for even MY jaded ears; equal parts BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE, B.O.C., ALICE COOPER, and THIN LIZZY – songs so well-crafted and capably performed that I immediately reached out to Enrico saying “We NEED to sign this band immediately!” – because “Magick & Mischief” totally blows away the already awesome “Otherwordly” in every possible way!”
Zinn describes “Magick & Mischief” as the band’s “most dynamic offering yet.” From proto-metal jaunts such as “Wands To The Sky” and “Ominous Skies”, to the epic doom rocker “Not Long For This World” and already-crowd favorite “Amulet”, it’s easy to see why SPELLBOOK is eager to hit the road in support of the album.
“We’re a unique band and we’re proud of that,” closes Zinn. “There is no formula; there are no rules. We write what feels good and we are tapped into a creative high right now, already writing for the next album. However, the release of ‘Magick & Mischief’ in September is priority number one and we’re excited for everyone to hear it. It’s rewarding this label is taking us on and recognizes the potential. We’re thrilled!”.
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