Witch Fever’s debut album culminates in what the band like to call “full rage mode”. Since their formation in 2017, the Manchester quartet have had a reputation for making riff-heavy, lyrically furious music that consistently bursts out of the confines of one genre. But their first full-length project, Congregation, sees them going further out of their comfort zone, and to further extremes. First meeting through Manchester’s close-knit alternative music scene, Witch Fever – Amy Walpole (vocals), Alex Thompson (bass), Alisha Yarwood (guitar) and Annabelle Joyce (drums) – have spent five years making gains within an industry that still skews overwhelmingly male when it comes to punk. Their raucous on-stage presence has led to them opening for the likes of IDLES and My Chemical Romance while a slew of singles – including “Bezerk(h)er” and “The Hallow” – followed by last year’s Reincarnate EP has seen their sound develop in intensity as well as scope. Refusing to be confined by gender or genre, Witch Fever have always defied expectations as individuals in society. Now, they’re defying expectations as a band. Congregation is the sound of punk without boundaries of any kind, and with it, Witch Fever are ushering in a new era of heavy music that’s accessible, confrontational and, most importantly of all, a huge pressure release.
