Witchsorrow’s frontman, Necroskull, has grown a GIANT FRICKIN’ BEARD since we last saw his band crank out their particular brand of croaky doom. We heartily endorse this development.

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With Damnation Festival 2012 a mere three weeks away, Hugh and Tom blast through every band on the line-up of the UK’s heaviest Winter festival, rating and slating as they go.

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Earlier this week, Damnation Festival announced Hawk Eyes, Ravens Creed and The Atrocity Exhibit as the final three bands for their 2012 line-up, and my, what a killer line-up it is too. Headed up by Dorset doom overlords, Electric Wizard, this year’s Damnation Festival also sees Pig Destroyer make their first return to the UK in eight years – why the hell haven’t you bought a ticket already? If you have bought a ticket already: well done. You know the score.

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Right, that’s it – that’s you lot. Damnation Festival have completed the line-up for their 2012 festival tonight by confirming the opening acts for all three of the festival’s stages – The Atrocity Exhibit on the Terrorizer stage, Hawk Eyes on the Jägermeister stage, and Ravens Creed on the Eyesore.

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Damnation Festival have added another three bands to their ever-swelling 2012 line-up. Tonight’s trio of additions are Belgian sludge beasts, Amenra, post-rockers Maybeshewill, and the croaky doom of London’s mighty Witchsorrow.

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Witchsorrow are one of those bands where you either like what they do or you have no idea that they exist. Mark McQueen talks to frontman Necroskull about what it is that they do and why.

It is perfectly understandable if you haven’t heard of Witchsorrow, they aren’t quite on the cover of Q magazine, or on constant rotation on Kerrang! TV.

That’s why Thrash Hits .com is here to enlighten you in the ways of this highly talented, up and coming doom metal band in this interview with Necroskull, lead singer of Witchsorrow.

When and where did you form the band?
Emily Witch and I have been a couple for almost ten years. I came up with the idea for a doom band about 3 years ago while I was in a grindcore band and Emily said she wanted in. We’re both nuts about doom bands like Saint Vitus, Trouble and Reverend Bizarre, so we knew what we wanted to play before we even got together with Morrellhammer.

I first met him when my grind band played with his punk/sludge/hardcore/drunk twat band, Koresh, and one night when I was looking for a drummer I found him on MySpace and decided to ask if he’d be interested.

Watch a video about The Best Doom Metal Bands

Witchsorrow are a doom metal band. Could you give a more in-depth description of your sound?
Arcane doom metal, crawling horror played through slow, heavy riffs with occasional fast bits. I think true doom is probably the best description. Name a doom band and we owe them some royalties, probably! Any band who plays slow heavy metal is in there somewhere.

You seem to have a fascination with witchcraft and witch trials, why does this subject intrigue you so much?
The witch trials were so unfair, and so ludicrous, that to have been the subject of one must have been worse than death. You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t. You end up with a slow, torturous death. Just the thought of having that kind of accusation thrown at you would have been terrible. You’d be completely fucked.

It’s similar to ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ by Iron Maiden. What’s going through someone’s mind when they’re being dunked in water to test if they’re a witch?

Do you tend to get positive crowd reactions?
Generally, yeah. I can’t ever see fuck all during a gig because my eyes are full of hair, but people always cheer at the end of songs. On the occasions that I do get a chance to look up, there’s always people headbanging, which is a victory in my book.

Watch a documentary on The History Of Headbanging

What is the best gig you have ever played?
Our first gig was killer. We supported Blood Island Raiders the week before Christmas, and there were loads of our mates there, lots of Christmas cheer, and it just felt like a really good time.

The Doom Metal Inquisition in Bradford last month was absolutely amazing. It was a proper doom gig. I’ve been to all-dayers before when you spend most of the day counting down the hours ‘til the band you like come on, but every single band at that were awesome, particularly Warning and The Lamp Of Thoth.

Looking forward to playing at the ever growing Bloodstock festival later this month?
Absolutely. It’s an honour and a pleasure to be playing with Akercocke and Napalm Death. Bloodstock has a special place in my heart, it’s something I look forward to every summer. I have made a lot of friends there. I get to see people I should see more often and playing is just a good way of getting in for free!

You can listen to some of the mighty Witchsorrow on their Myspace.

Witchsorrow perform at Bloodstock Open Air Festival on 15 August 2008 and with Turisas at the London Camden Barfly on 20 August 2008

Band photo courtesy of Tim Ebdon.