Temple Of The Fuzz Witch Conjuring EP Review

Noah Bruner’s blackened doom metal project out of Detroit, Temple of the Fuzz Witch, followed up last April’s Apotheosis with a short and sweet three-track ep titled Conjuring on Friday. Bruner, the lone original member of the three-piece outfit, handles the vocals and the lead guitar duties, which he’s done since the band’s launch with the release of 2017’s untitled ep, which contained the single “Spectral Light.”

The opening track to the latest Fuzz Witch effort, “Effigy,” is murky and foreboding as shit, stomping along at a crawl. Bruner starts out with a clean vocal style before launching into his more typical growl, and rough vocal. A cool riff, smoky and eerie. “Effigy” originally appeared as a download in December.

“Eternal Lamentation” is much more up-tempo, fuzzy, and dark, a nice switch hitter here, moving along at a clip I’m a little unaccustomed to for black doom metal. It’s by no means a rocker, per se, but it definitely moves the listener.

“Bass, how low can you go?” A gnarly bass line courtesy of Josh Peet opens the ep’s final track, “Foul of Shades.” I really like the groove he lays down on this track, and drummer Taylor Christian, who, like Peet, joined the band in 2022, keeps things on time while Bruner does his thing.

Oft typical of the genre, the ep is raw, and aggressive, featuring Bruner’s oppressive and screeching vocals. The guitars are down-tuned, fuzzy, heavily distorted and the atmosphere is one of bleak, starkness. At a few moments here and there, I thought the drums were muted, stifled even, in the sound, but it didn’t greatly detract from my enjoyment.

In all, a 13-minute treat for the ears of any black metal or doom fan from Black Throne. The Temple of the Fuzz Witch is open for worship services once again. Available by download on Bandcamp or on limited press black and red splatter vinyl.

Standout tracks: “Effigy” and “” Foul of Shades.”

~Mike