Psychedelic Witchcraft

Psychedelic Witchcraft
Background information
Origin	Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Genres	Occult Rock, Doom Rock, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Years active	2015 - 2018
Labels	Taxi Driver, Twin Earth, Soulseller, Listenable
Associated acts	Dead Witches, Le Porte Non Aperte, Magnet, Neyah
Website	Psychedelic Witchcraft on Facebook

Psychedelic Witchcraft were an occult rock band based out of Florence, Italy. Forming in 2015 initially as a solo project of one Virginia Monti, Psychedelic Witchcraft would form as a full band by the end of that year, releasing two studio albums and two EPs in their short tenure before disbanding in 2018.

The band's inspirations draw heavily from 70s music, film and the occult.In regards to movies their biggest influences would be the Hammer Horror Movies from the ’70s by directors such as Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento. In terms of music the band would draw inspiration from Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Faces, Howlin’ Wolf, Donny Hathaway, Dina Washington and Muddy Waters alongside modern acts like The Black Keys, Blues Pills, Humulus and Sonic Wolves.

History

Psychedelic Witchcraft formed in early 2015 initially as a solo guitar project of one Virginia Monti, recording and performing on the band's debut EP with a friend Lorenzo Bianchi. Shortly afterwards, a chance meeting between Monti and future member Riccardo Giuffrè would take place in a forest north of Milan and would help solidify the band and a long term friendship between the two as they joked how they had gone to several of the same shows but had no clue the other was in attendance. Soon a backing band formed in Giuffrè, guitarist Jacopo Fallai and drummer Daniele Parrella (who would part with the band after recording his drum parts, leaving him to be replaced by Mirko Buia) with the band's debut Black Magic Man seeing release on 4 July 2015 via Taxi Driver Records. Preceding this would be the band's earliest live performance on 5 June 2015 supporting Stoner Kebab. With Black Magic Man then circulating among a culminating fanbase, the subsequent Set Me Free EP was released on Twin Earth Records on 2 October 2015, and by then the new band was already in early stages of working on an LP and would open the second edition of Heavy Psych Sounds Fest.

The band would unveil artwork for their first album in October 2015 as work progressed on this first LP with a large amount of the demos being composed by Monti on an acoustic guitar. The Vision would see release circa 29 April 2016 via Soulseller Records, gaining buzz from doom fans and the likes of Vice and Terrorizer among others.

Psychedelic Witchcraft would immediately begin work on a new release for Soulseller Records entitled Magick Rites And Spells featuring re-released songs from the band's earlier EPs and newly recorded ones from 2016-2017 with the band returning to the live stage on 29 April 2017 at Hariel Fest. Monti would also be briefly involved with Dead Witches, an occult doom band founded by Mark Greening (Electric Wizard, Ramesses, etc.). Monti would record a single album and perform three live shows with Dead Witches.

Psychedelic Witchcraft would sign with Listenable Records and record their second LP at Elfo Studio, with mixing and mastering done by Magic Garden. Sound of The Wind saw release on 3 November 2017 to positive reception. Along with touring Spain, Psychedelic Witchcraft would play a handful of festivals through 2017.

In 2018 Psychedelic Witchcraft would disband, with the last known shows by the group taking place on 22 September at Stoner Doom Vol. 7 in Poland and 30 September 2018 at HRH Doom Vs. Stoner at O2 Academy Brixton. Monti would remain active with another project in Neyah. Psychedelic Witchcraft were intended to reform in 2020 as part of Muskelrock Festival but due to The CO-VID19 Pandemic the festival would cancel, with the band remaining inactive.

Discography

• Black Magic Man (EP) (2015, Taxi Driver)
• Set Me Free (EP) (2015, Twin Earth)
• The Vision (Studio Album) (2016, Soulseller)
• Magick Rites And Spells (Compilation) (2017, Soulseller)
• Sound of The Wind (Studio Album) (2017, Listenable)

Members

• Virginia Monti – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (2015 - 2018)
• Jacopo Fallai – Guitars (2015 - 2018)
• Riccardo Giuffrè – Guitars, Bass Guitar, Piano, Rhodes Keyboard, Synthesizers (2015 - 2018)
• Mirko Buia – Drums (2015 - 2018)
• Daniele Parrella – Drums (2015)
• Lorenzo Bianchi – Guitars (2015)

Tours

• Sound of The Wind Spanish Tour (2017)

External Links

• Psychedelic Witchcraft on Last.fm