CIRCLE OF WITCHES - Natural Born Sinners (2019)

Natural Born Sinners is the third full-length album in the Circle Of Witches’ career. This new chapter is focused upon the concept of riot, with figures of some rebels taken from religion, history, anthropology and literature like Lucifer, Spartacus, Anton Lavey, Giordano Bruno, the persecuted witches. This eleven track album marks a path of heavy metal and doom influences with a sound between Judas Priest, Grand Magus and Candlemass. The concept is also linked to the “Fire” element, the essence of changing matter, brilliant intellect, passion and energy.

The band chose Alpha Omega Studios, on Como Lake in Italy, to record the album with producion credits going to Alex Azzali (Ancient) and Nicholas Barker (Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Testament, etc).

The artwork was realized by the Greek graphic designer Nikos Markogiannakis (Rotting Christ, Anubis Gate, Die Sector, etc), the author of the bands previous artwork for the album Rock The Evil. He built a majestic figure, strong, tormented and dynamic although held down in the flames of Hell by barbed wire.

Track by track guide:
The opener Tongue Of Misery is a track that blows hard against religions and their words full of hypocrisy, against which human’s intellect and disbelief are the only weapons to react. The narrator prefers to be burnt rather than buried in a “sacred” soil.

The second track, The Black House, is dedicated to Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan and it develops it’s Nine Statements.

The following song is an homage to the Italian philosopher, free thinker and mage, Giordano Bruno, who was burnt alive by the Catholic Church in 1600. It’s a chapter full of doomish atmosphere.

The Oracle is the fourth track and deals with the figure of Lucifer under his Promethean significance. He awakened the intellect and the power of creation in mankind, against the will of god.

The following track First Born Sinner is a kind of summary for the album’s themes. It quotes all the other lyrics suggesting that behind all rebelliousness (Spartacus, witches, philosopher, the poor victim of Inquisition…) is a beginner being defined as Sinner …so again Lucifer.

The sixth track tells the story of Spartacus (Prophecy Of Riot), a slave who claimed freedom for himself and his companions against the Roman Empire.

Your Predator is a wicked man who struggles for freedom from his sexual mistress. She turned him into a beast, prone at her blood and violence thirst, until he is able to react and challenge the woman.

Deus Vult is a vocal Latin death sentence inspired by the Inquisition and Malleus Malleficarum documents. It introduces the next track Death To The Inquisitor, which is the story of someone persecuted and tortured under the suspicion of witchery. The protagonist is able to strike down the torturer, led by an unknown inner voice.

You Belong To Witches is a pagan hymn to witches culture, the wisdom coming from rituals of an ancient past and the fear of the common man of this knowledge.

The final song is Cult Of Baphomet, a mystic invocation to the great spirit of knowledge.

Natural Born Sinners | Released May 21st, 2019 on Sliptrick Records

Track Listing:
01. Tongue Of Misery | 02. The Black House | 03. Giordano Bruno | 04. The Oracle | 05. First Born Sinner | 06. Spartacus (Prophecy Of Riot) | 07. Your Predator | 08. Deus Vult | 09. Death To The Inquisitor | 10. You Belong To Witches | 11. Cult Of Baphomet

Circle Of Witches are:
Mario Bove – Vocals/Guitar | Joe Dardano – Guitar | Tony Farabella – Bass/Back Vocals | Joey Coppola – Drums