You can't kill rock 'n' roll, although many have tried. Heavy music will live forever: not because of big names making big bucks, but thanks to the bands that live, breathe and shit this stuff. Bands that live for The Riff. Bands like the mighty Witchskull. Formed in 2014 and dedicated to crushing skulls and conjuring demons ever since, Witchskull are Australia's kings of non-conformist stoner metal. Shrugging off all the usual cliches and hackneyed tricks in favour of a box-fresh but bilious blend of post-Sabbath belligerence, NWOBHM nihilism and abrasive, underground grit, they seemed to emerge fully-formed and ready to roll. In 2015, this unshakeable trio of guitarist/vocalist Marcus De Pasquale, bassist Tony McMahon and drummer Joel Green released their debut album, The Vast Electric Dark. Praise and plaudits were plentiful, and Witchskull soon found themselves in an enduring embrace with seminal UK imprint Rise Above Records. Two more albums - 2018's Coven's Will, and 2020's "A Driftwood Cross" - have cemented the band's reputation as contemporary heavyweights, with an increasingly diverse array of influences - and many, many great riffs - informing their pitch-black tales of nefarious forces. Unfortunately, 2020 was the year of scuppered plans and thwarted campaigns, but rather than bemoan their lot, they used the times of plague and pestilence to their best possible use. A few local shows aside, Witchskull have spent the last couple of years working on their most undeniable metal monolith to date: The Serpent Tide. HEAVY as hell but with enough melody to turn the purest of rock fans heads, Witchskull are ready to destroy.