Witchtyer releases ‘When Their Gods Come For You’

WITCHCRYER was created by guitarist Jason Muxlow during his time with Chicago doom band Earthen Grave (Ripple Music) and became his priority when he moved to Austin in early 2015. That summer, he began co-writing songs with drummer Javi Moctezuma; vocalist/lyricist Suzy Bravo joined the band later that year, leading to the release of their demo 'The Preying Kind'. With the final addition of San Antonio bassist Marilyn Monroe (Pillcrusher, Las Cruces), Witchcryer played its first show in April 2016.

Their debut album 'Cry Witch' was released on Ripple Music in 2018, comprising nine songs of classic doom produced by the band and Brant Sankey. The band toured the Southern states with Italian doom band Messa, then made their way north to Chicago later in the year, while playing regularly across Texas. In the fall of 2019, WITCHCRYER headed back to producer Brant Sankey’s Studio E in San Antonio to work on the new album, with special guest appearances by doom vocalists Gary Rosas (Ungrieved, Mala Suerte) and Steve Colca (Destroyer of Light).

'When Their Gods Come For You' displays a grander and more epic sound, leaning into the band's rock and metal roots. This concept album deals with deities across various ages of civilization throughout time. It starts with “Devil & The Deep Blue Sea”, a Faustian tale of a damned soul swallowed by an apocalyptic leviathan, Hellmouth, and the narrator’s attempt to fight for their life. The album continues with the song “Hellmouth” in which the narrator is the Anglo-Saxon demon fish itself. Songs about Greek gods and titans with tales of pride and punishment follow, as well as a Mesoamerican sun deity teaching its doomed warrior people to fly, a Roman goddess seeking justice for crimes against women, the tale of the Blackfoot creation god. Title track “When Their Gods Come For You” comes full circle, proclaiming that if one does not stand up for what they believe in, someone else will do the believing and choosing for them.

Vocalist Suzy Bravo about writing this new album: "This is the album that I’ve been writing in my head my entire life. When I was about 7 years old in 1983, my grandmother took me to the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio to see a double feature of “Hercules” starring Lou Ferrigno and “Clash of the Titans”. I fell in love with Greek mythology and stories about these mighty gods. I would obsess over encyclopedias around the house and find every book I could about gods from every religion. I became a Jehovah Witness by myself when I was about 8 or 9. I read my yellow “Children’s Book of Bible Stories” and recited every story to memory. I’ll never forget how dazzled I was by the illustrations. I became a Christian when I was 11 years old, I would go to churches by myself and even got baptized by myself. I knew that whoever I wanted to be, I had to figure it out by myself. In high school, I briefly got into Buddhism and then a teacher loaned me a book called “If You Meet the Buddha On the Road, Kill Him”. I was taken aback and was offended by the title. But, when I read it, the book taught me that it was okay to question religious hierarchies. This is a very personal album, but I’m not trying to tell anyone what to believe in. Overall, it is just my chance to tell a bunch of great stories with great illustrations."

The album will come with a download of a mythological book featuring the album lyrics, and artwork from artists who illustrated each god mentioned on the album: David Paul Seymour (“I Rise!”), John Michael Bowley (“Hellmouth”), Daniel Augustus Marschner ("Nemesis, the Inevitable”), Gerardo Quetzatl Garcia (“Quetzatlcoatl”), and cover artist Kyle Otto.