heavy-metal-darkness: Witch |The Hex Is On... And Then Some |Lost Realm Records (Reissue, Remastered)

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Witch |The Hex Is On... And Then Some |Lost Realm Records (Reissue, Remastered)

Release Date 30.01.2026
Format 2CD/LP
Genre Heavy Metal
Country USA

Born in the gutters of Huntington Beach in '83, Witch was the kind of beautiful disaster that only 1980s Orange County could vomit up. They were a middle finger to the mainstream, mixing the speed of Judas Priest with the total visual depravity of Mötley Crüe and KISS. Drummer Punky Peru was a certified maniac who’d bleed all over his kit, while Peter Wabitt wailed like a banshee over the riffs of Ronny Too and Jim Warmon. These guys played in clubs and burned them down literally, and survived enough brawls and pyro accidents to make most modern bands look like choir boys. They were huge on the circuit, sharing stages with Slayer and Yngwie Malmsteen but they were probably too volatile for the suits at Atlantic or Polygram to handle.

Finally, Lost Realm Records has rounded up the chaos into "The Hex Is On... And Then Some". This collection is a total monster, spanning their prime years from 1984 to 1989 and throwing in those weirdly cool God Box sessions from the mid-90s. It’s about time someone archived this stuff properly. Listening to this is like taking a time machine back to a Woodstock Anaheim show where you’re pretty sure someone is going to get punched or set on fire. The production is raw and loud, exactly the way this kind of street-level metal should be served.

The early stuff like "Nervous Wreck" and "Damnation" is pure adrenaline. You can hear the transition from the absolute filth of the 1984 EP into the more professional, though still dangerous, vibe of the "Nobody Sleeps" era. "Cinderella (In Black Leather)" is an anthem for the kids who lived for the Sunset Strip but wanted more venom in their veins. Peter Wabitt has that classic high-register metal snarl that cuts through the mix, and the guitar work is frantic and sharp. It’s a snapshot of a time when metal was actually dangerous, not just a fashion statement.

The second disc with the God Box sessions is a wild curveball. Produced by Howard Leese, these tracks like "Mad For Life" and "Pay The Due" show a different side of the beast. It’s got a bit more of a groove, but the core of the band, that defiant, "us against the world" attitude, is still there. It’s cool to see they didn't lose their edge even when they tried to get a bit more sophisticated in the studio. Tracks like "Black Magic" keep that heavy spirit alive without sounding like they’re trying to copy the glory days.

This is a mandatory pickup for anyone who worships at the altar of 80s underground metal. It’s not a "refined" experience but a loud, proud, and messy history lesson of a band that should have been massive but chose to stay wild instead. "The Hex Is On... And Then Some" is a massive package of riffs, ego, and leather that proves Witch was the real deal. If you want a piece of the real SoCal metal history, this is it.

Score: 7.8

https://www.lostrealmrecords.com