At first blush you may be forgiven for thinking Wytch Hazel<\/strong> is one of the old guard traditional metal bands from the 70’s or 80’s, and that they just happened to be releasing a new album this year. The group is fairly recent, though, only beginning to release material in 2012. II: Sojourn<\/em> is the band\u2019s sophomore album.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sojourn<\/em> is a strong power metal\/hard rock record with a heavy mix of NWOBHM style. No surprise there since they list Iron Maiden<\/strong> as a huge influence. The record starts out with one hell of an earworm, \u201cThe Devil is Here.\u201d Strong harmonies and galloping guitars swiftly carry you through a supremely solid tune that sounds effortlessly performed; it\u2019s old-school tribute without feeling hackneyed.<\/p>\n