Charlie Pinhey
Music journalist & online sub-editor for CLUNK Magazine based in Bristol. Fumbling around on social media trying to tell people about my interviews and reviews. Follow me @charvawritesstuff
The Wytches latest single takes inspiration from The Kinks ahead of new album ‘Talking Machine’ releasing October 10th
The Wytches are back and have a new album on the way. ‘Talking Machine‘, named after Thomas Edison’s nickname for gramophones, promises to grapple with the human race’s rapid advances in technology, including AI, whilst also referencing the past. Edison, who would hold ‘tone test’ events to demonstrate how far musical recordings had come, embodies both aspects neatly.
The Wytches’ latest single, ‘Black Ice‘, plants itself in the past with The Kinks serving as part of the track’s inspiration. ‘Black Ice‘ was an experiment from vocalist and guitarist, Kristian Bell, following his time working in a record shop and listening to ‘Till The End Of The Day’ by The Kinks, where he realised it sounded heavier than most modern metal and wanted to replicate that sound.
It could be argued that proto-punk style has only trickled into The Wytches’ catalogue to date, the post-chorus hook in ‘Wire Frame Mattress‘ springs to mind. However, with ‘Black Ice‘ the influence of The Kinks is felt from the off.
Jangly surf rock notes sparkle before a thudding bass hook kicks in to turn ‘Black Ice‘ into a full-on head banger. Bell’s vocals rip across Black Ice with guttural intent, gnashing his way to the turnaround, where the sixties-inspired riff returns with a flourish. Later, ‘Black Ice‘ descends into outright dirty rock with the bass hook coarsely combining with steely guitars.
The Wytches‘ latest album ‘Talking Machine‘ shall be releasing October 10th via Alcopop Records.
Listen to ‘Black Ice‘ here:
Catch The Wytches at the following:
7th October 2025 – HotBox, Chelmsford, UK
8th October 2025 – Where Else?, Margate, UK
9th October 2025 – The Joiners, Southampton, UK
10th October 2025 – Bunkhouse, Swansea, Wales
11th October 2025 – Cornish Bank, Falmouth, UK
14th October 2025 – Thekla, Bristol, UK
15th October 2025 – Hare and Hounds, Birmingham, UK
17th October 2025 – The Bodega, Nottingham, UK
18th October 2025 – Docks Academy, Grimsby, UK
22nd October 2025 – Night and Day, Manchester, UK
23rd October 2025 – Rough Trade, Liverpool (Instore)
24th October 2025 – FutureYard, Birkenhead, UK
25th October 2025 – The Fulford Arms, York, UK
28th October 2025 – Cluny, Newcastle, UK
29th October 2025 – Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow, UK
30th October 2025 – Sneaky Petes, Edinburgh, UK
5th November 2025 – Dust, Brighton, UK
6th November 2025 – The Garage, London, UK
7th November 2025 – Slachthuis, Haarlem, Netherlands
11th November 2025 – Point Ephemere, Paris, France
12th November 2025 – Buhmann & Sonn, Cologne, Germany
14th November 2025 – Merkeyn, Nijmegen, Netherlands
15th November 2025 – (Tough Enough Festival) Botanique, Brussels, Belgium
16th November 2025 – Molotow (Downstairs), Hamburg, Germany
18th November 2025 – Neue Zukunft, Berlin, Germany
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