Short Reviews [Peter Lawson - 2024 - "The Witchfinder"]

In recent years I have reviewed quite a few of Peter's releases, both solo and in Venus Loon, and his latest album finds him telling in music the story of the infamous Matthew Hopkins, self-proclaimed Witchfinder General, who actively sought and accused women of witchcraft in East Anglia between 1644 and 1647. What I had not realised until I did some research is that it is widely thought that although there are not many records of that period, he was certainly no older than 28 when he died and could have been a few years younger. It is certainly a dark and menacing topic to attempt to cover in an instrumental album, but while Peter concentrates on electric guitar during this 7-song, 38-minute-long release, he also brings in mandolin, bodhran and other instruments as he combines more traditional forms of music with progressive rock to create the feeling of depth and substance. There is quite a bit of information on the Bandcamp page about Hopkins, and given how his notoriety is still well known nearly four centuries later it is easy to discover more about him and I found it interesting to read up on him while playing the album. The cover art is also strangely evocative, although I am not sure why the witchfinder is shown wearing a plague doctor's beak, but while it may not be historically accurate it certainly adds to the overall feel of menace. This is a dark release, which certainly fits the subject matter, and there is a strong alignment between the music and the theme, which is not easy to achieve with instrumentals.