‘The devil has all the best tunes’ is the biggest cliché in the book of heavy metal – and Wytch Hazel are living proof. The Lancashire four-piece draw from a well of classic influences – Iron Maiden, UFO, late-70s Jethro Tull, cult NWOBHM band Pagan Altar – and spin it into something familiar yet new. But they’re set apart from today’s fellow trad-metal acolytes by singer/guitarist Colin Hendra’s deep-seated Christian faith, something which colours his lyrics and informs his band’s entire essence.
“I don’t see us as a ‘Christian band’,” says Hendra, who was raised in a religious household. “But music is one of the most spiritual experiences you can have, and essentially that comes from Jesus. That’s the core of it: he is a healing power. We can all be healed by melody.”
