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Witch Mountain & Castle @ Saint Vitus w/ Kings Destroy (pics)

words and pictures by Caroline Harrison

Witch Mountain @ Saint Vitus — 11/2/2012
Witch Mountain

Doom bands Witch Mountain and Castle played Saint Vitus Bar during their US tour on Friday night (11/2). With support from local act Kings Destroy, the show was the first ticketed event at Vitus in the wake of Frankenstorm Sandy.

Despite a lack of functioning subways in most of Brooklyn and a Mad Max-like fuel situation in the tri-state area, local openers Kings Destroy made it to Saint Vitus. Their bassist had to walk six miles from Manhattan to get to the gig, but if anything that only bolstered his enthusiasm. The only shaky parts of their set were a few pitchy notes before the singer got a feel for the sound in the room.

Castle presumably had an easier time getting to Vitus since they came in with Witch Mountain from Worcester, MA–pronounced WUHSTAH for you non-Massholes. Castle’s music is more dissonant than that of the other bands on the bill, and a bit less strictly doom-oriented.

There was a pretty sizable audience by the time Witch Mountain took the stage, a testament to the band’s power to draw a crowd. Witch Mountain may be a pretty traditional bluesy doom band, but powerhouse vocalist Uta Plotkin takes their sound to an entirely different level. Uta’s impressive vocal range is more akin to that of an operatic mezzo soprano, and she effortlessly transitions from belting alto to wailing high notes hair metal bands could only dream of. Their set included both “Beekeeper” and “Shelter” off their recent album “Cauldron of the Wild.”

Witch Mountain and Castle play Asheville, NC tonight before heading to Knoxville, TN. Full dates for the remainder of the tour are below. You can catch Kings Destroy at Union Pool for a free show with Black Pyramid and Clamfight on Friday, 11/9. More pictures from Saint Vitus are below.

Kings Destroy

Kings Destroy

Kings Destroy

Kings Destroy

Kings Destroy

Kings Destroy

Kings Destroy

Kings Destroy

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Kings Destroy

Castle

Castle

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Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

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Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain

Witch Mountain