Review Summary: Less of that fiery underbelly but still full of sweet spot comforts
Can we take a minute to acknowledge just how strictly Wytch Hazel has adhered to their formula? In addition to the years spent polishing their signature spiritually charged hard rock, each of their albums has also shown airtight consistency in releasing every couple years with a ten-song total averaging around forty-ish minutes every single time. There’s a fine line between the religious devotion of never missing a Sunday church service and what could be interpreted as dogmatic fanaticism.
With that established, I must admit V: Lamentations seems to fall a little short of the impacts that peaked with 2020’s III: Pentecost and 2023’s IV: Sacrament. The melodies are as jovial as ever but have less of the energetic push that made their last couple outings so explosive, leading to a more easygoing approach with more relaxed playing. It’s not the most dramatically noticeable shift, but it’s hard to pick a finger on why the hooks don’t feel like they stick as much as they should. The speedy charges on the opening one-two “I Lament” and “Run The Race” are missing a certain bite while the mid-tempo anthems like “The Citadel” and “Racing Forwards” gamble on lethargy.
But by virtue of the band’s tight as hell songwriting, this still manages to be a pretty enjoyable listen. Certain tracks are well suited to a more restrained outlook between the almost psych-folk “The Demons Within” and “Heavy Load” as well as the extra pastoral whimsy on the closing “Healing Power.” There’s also room for some simpler hard rock as “Elements” feels like something KISS would do and “Woven” echoes some of the lingering hustle, especially when coming off as a contrast to the acoustic instrumental “Elixir.”
While V: Lamentations shows some diminishing returns in Wytch Hazel’s tried and true classic metal template, there’s still an underlying faith that keeps it at a solid caliber. It’s something of a mixed bag as the hooks don’t have their usual earworm appeal but the mood and song templates feel in character. Part of me wishes they had leaned even more into the mellowness, perhaps hitting even further into folk or heavy psych. As much as I miss their Thin Lizzy worship’s fiery underbelly, this has plenty of comfy sweet spots.
