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King Witch are a Heavy/Doom band from Edinburgh, Scotland that have been around since 2015 and received some attention with their EP Shoulders of Giants and their full-length Under the Mountain. Looks like that attention was justified, as their sophomore album Body of Light is an hour-long tour de force of ominous and beautiful Doom. Black Sabbath and Candlemass are the obvious cornerstones of their sound, which focuses on the Heavy Rock and psychedelic influences of old-school Doom to make an album that's as varied as it is vintage. You get everything from rockers like the punky, Motorhead-esque "Witches Mark" to the more expected Doom numbers like the jaw-dropping 10-minute closer "Beyond the Black Gates", all of which are supported with top-notch musicianship and an understanding of mood that most newer acts seem to lack.

The real star of the show, however, is the commanding voice of Laura Donnely. Her singing is almost reminiscent of early Candlemass, ranging from a powerful scream to cries of torment to a softer intone that sounds like a storyteller by the fireside on a dark, foggy night. Every song on here benefits from her clever vocal lines, and the band is at their best when they slow down and let her stretch out her ominous voice in ways that border on frightening.

Overall, this band isn't revolutionizing the genre with this one, but that's not really the point of it. For their second outing, King Witch have made an addictive soul-ripper of an album that proves they're among the better retro-Doom acts out there today. A must-have for any Doom fan.