Well, here we are. Sweden’s own Witchcraft have been around for 26 years, releasing seven studio albums, from their self-titled 2004 debut to 2025’s Idag. That’s quite a journey, and throughout it all, the band have kept the legacy of psychedelic hard rock at their core.
For founder Magnus Pelander, who has kept the fire of Witchcraft burning brightly despite the lineup changes the band have gone through, there is no denying the power and glory he has poured his heart and soul into. Witchcraft has always felt like more than just a band; it is a vessel for Pelander’s vision, one that continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in the sounds that inspired it.
That evolution continues with their new EP, A Sinner’s Child, released through Heavy Psych Sounds. Following the critical success of last year’s album Idag,which means ‘Today’ in Swedish, the EP continues Magnus’ adventure by stripping away some of the heavier textures in favour of a melodic, occult-inspired sound. The result is a collection that keeps the beats vibrant while unleashing something darker and more restless from its cage.
The opening back-and-forth guitar line behind ‘Drömmen Om Död Och Föruttnelse’, translated as ‘The Dream of Death and Decay’, kicks the EP off with an Amon Düül II-like attack, immediately recalling the Tanz der Lemminge and Wolf City eras. It feels as though Magnus is envisioning himself singing this song in the middle of a medieval castle somewhere in the heart of Sweden, singing to the gods as dooming riffs, pounding drums, and heartfelt vocals in his native language crash down like waves in a thunderous storm.
From there, the mood shifts toward the bluesy rivers of ‘A Sinner’s Child’, a moody and subliminal underwater ballad that keeps you suspended in its atmosphere, holding on to find out what happens next. There is a sense of mystery here, as though the song is quietly pulling you deeper into Witchcraft’s world without revealing everything at once.
Then it’s into the acid-folk world, as if Witchcraft had recorded ‘Even Darker Days’ inside a crystallised cave. With nods to Comus and Trees, Magnus details the downfall and increasingly darker atmosphere surrounding a person on the brink of collapse and suffering a mental breakdown. The ominous and haunting arrangement hits with the force of someone punching you directly in the gut, and hitting very hard.
After the two moody and acoustic tracks, it’s back to the sludgy, doomy rise of the gods with the eruptive, slowed-down brutality of ‘Själen Reser Sig’, which translates as ‘The Soul Rises’. The track carries a vulnerable yet Hammer Horror-like texture, almost as if Witchcraft were recording the soundtrack to the 1968 horror gem The Devil Rides Out, starring Christopher Lee and Charles Gray.
Yes, there are Sabbath comparisons to be made, but Witchcraft approaches the territory from a different angle. There is a spaghetti-western quality to the song that makes you feel as though you’re riding a horse, galloping through the middle of a sandstorm as you approach the O.K. Corral at full speed. At the same time, there are nods to Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma era, particularly David Gilmour’s third section of ‘The Narrow Way’. It’s an unusual combination, but Witchcraft has made it work.
Closing out the EP is the sequel to the title-track is ‘Sinner’s Clear Confusion’. The track brings everything down into a lullaby-like, romantic atmosphere, confessing the damage and destruction left behind while setting the stage for whatever comes next. There is a feeling of closure here, but not necessarily an ending.
A Sinner’s Child feels like the closing chapter of the Idag era, a final page in that particular book before Witchcraft turns the page toward whatever lies ahead. The band may be heading off into the sunset, but the road ahead remains wide open. With Magnus Pelander still carrying the flame, the question is not whether Witchcraft have more stories to tell, but where that long and winding road will take them next.
