Temple of the Fuzz Witch – Apotheosis Review

There’s perhaps no better moniker that these Detroit natives could have chosen. Temple of the Fuzz Witch embodies a green fuzz that saturates all the negative spaces, tinged with a ritualistic and sinister occult edge. Apotheosis embodies a culmination, a godlike apex as the name suggests, of the act’s history, megaton riffage greeting dark atmospheres and a thick veil of smoke, although their third full-length finds the trio embracing a distinctly vicious edge. Does Apotheosis make Temple of the Fuzz Witch the divine success to which they strive?

The act’s history is one associated with Sleep worship. Fuzzy riffs, croons thick with weed, and mammoth drums did little to distinguish from the masses, and their moniker became a comical reflection of the music contained within. Both Temple of the Fuzz Witch’s 2017 self-titled debut and 2020 follow-up Red Tide followed this Black Sabbath but haze-filled, orange amp- and MountainKing Megalith-fueled weight. This is where Apotheosis succeeds: acknowledging the past while moving forward. While the weight and guitar tone is unmistakably stoner doom, you’ll find more in common with older Yatra or Thou’s storied catalog than the High on Fires and Electric Wizards of the world. Ultimately, this sets Temple of the Fuzz Witch a cut above many, as its fusion of devastating riffage and blackened bleakness hits the sweet spot.

Simplicity is the name of the game here, so if it’s riffs you want, Apotheosis will mightily satisfy, alongside an absolutely mammoth production that emphasizes them. Tracks like opener “A Call to Prey,” “Nephilim,” and “Bow Down” are oozing with charisma and swagger in each movement, Temple of the Fuzz Witch’s relatively simple structures benefiting from a southern-fried bluesy drawl. Vocals are used in perhaps a jarring way, as the blackened snarl of vocalist Noah Bruner feels nearly sermonic, while his Kurt Cobain-esque drawling cleans offer a tired apathy in tracks like “Wight” and “Nephilim.” There’s just enough experimentation to keep things from drowning in the indicia, with tracks like “Wight,” “Raze,” and “Apostate” embracing a more simmering approach that revels in the darkness, while the slow-burning crescendo of “Sanguine” pays off in a satisfying punky climax, the thrash-induced closing passage of “Nephilim” serves as a welcome jolt of energy, and the clean leads in “Cursed” offer a heart rarely seen. As aforementioned, Temple of the Fuzz Witch utilizes a “Stoner Doom for Dummies” guitar tone that feels nearly perfect in its utter fuzz saturation of all spaces in Apotheosis, even compared to the trio’s past offerings.

The weaknesses of Apotheosis are often the other side of what makes it so good. For instance, while a simple structure benefits “A Call to Prey,” excessive repetition of the same riff dooms “Cursed;” clean vocals add to “Bow Down” but end up taking away momentum from “Raze.” “Raze” also raises an odd conundrum, as it eventually gains its speed, but Temple of the Fuzz Witch’s suddenly disharmonic melodic template is repeated in its following two tracks: the ritualistic “Apostate” and dense doom closer “Ashes.” While certainly well executed, this sudden falloff in riffage for slow-burning menace is jarring, and recalls more the sludge stylings of Thou. Tempos largely remain mid-tempo, with injections of speed scattered throughout, which make these tracks, as well as “Sanguine,” stick out. The inclusion of black metal vocals and atmosphere is effective, but is nothing new, as acts like Yatra, Mizmor, and Cobalt have fused dense doom with second-wave stylings.

Overall, Temple of the Fuzz Witch hits the sweet spot of megaton riffs, blackened snarls, and just enough experimentation to keep things interesting. It does not promise to be the newest and best, but Apotheosis manages to get your head bobbing in the right spots and freeze your soul with a blast of second-wave. While it can be jarring here and there in some wobbly songwriting or awkward song placement, there’s only one track (“Cursed”) that visibly detracts from the whole. As such, while Temple of the Fuzz Witch may not do much to challenge the scene and their best is still before them, Apotheosis occupies a neat spot between kickassery and frigidity that will satisfy.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Ripple Music
Websites: templeofthefuzzwitch.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/TotFW
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024