This enigmatic Singaporean Doom Metal creature arises from its Stygian lair with its sophomore opus, offering a sonic journey through introspection and remembrance. 

Arising from its Stygian lair in Singapore, the enigmatic Doom Metal creature Witches Coven, the brainchild of vocalist and instrumentalist Imran Manaff (of Funeral Hearse and Splinter), is ready to darken the skies once again with its sophomore offering, entitled Soul Reaper, following up on the project’s 2022 debut World on Fire. Mixed and mastered by Rambow-Musis, Soul Reaper brings forward seven tracks of heavy, atmospheric doom, shifting focus from the fiery exploration of global unrest of the project’s 2022 debut to a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally resonant, offering a sonic journey through introspection and remembrance.

The maniacal bass by Imran kicks off the opening track Tomorrow’s Dream, soon joined by his hammering drums in the best Sludge Metal style, sounding electrifying from start to finish. Then he offers our avid ears a very melodic and gripping Stoner Metal tune titled Chasing Smoke, with his inebriate vocals adding even more gasoline to the music; and it’s pedal to the metal in the Rock N’ Roll feast titled Come Fly Away, where his riffs and solos are truly incendiary. And back to a more sluggish sonority he offers our avid ears Hollow, again blasting his raspy vocals while his beats and fills keep the song at a decent pace and vibe (despite being a bit too lengthy in the end).

Get ready to break your necks headbanging to the power of the riff crafted by Imran in October Flames, offering our putrid ears an overdose of Doom and Sludge Metal throughout its seven minutes of a descent into total madness; whereas his hammering drums are boosted by his thunderous bass lines in Intolerable Dissent, again presenting that rockin’ riff smell we all adore so much. Not only that, it’s impressive just to think it’s only one guy making all that good noise. And last but definitely not least, let’s drive through the lands of Stoner, Sludge and Doom Metal one final time with Plains of Yesterday, where all instrumental pieces exhale Rock N’ Roll, in special his fast-paced riffs and killer solos.

“I spent the last three years in a state of reflection,” commented Imran Manaff. “This album is a product of that. I wanted to create something that felt heavy, not just musically, but emotionally – like the burden of a memory you can’t shake. The title Soul Reaper isn’t about death, but about confronting those parts of our past that have shaped us, for better or worse.” Put differently, Soul Reaper promises to be a powerful addition to the genre, cementing Witches Coven’s place as a formidable force in the underground music scene, and you can join Imran Manaff on Instagram to know more about Witches Coven (as well as his other bands), stream the project’s creations on Spotify or Apple Music, and of course buy a copy of Soul Reaper from BandCamp. The second offering by Witches Coven sounds darker, heavier, more introspective and, therefore, more engaging than World on Fire, and if such a darkened path is what Imran Manaff has in mind for the future of Witches Coven, we can rest assured album number three will be even more haunting, if that’s humanly possible.

Best moments of the album: Tomorrow’s Dream, Come Fly Away and Intolerable Dissent.

Worst moments of the album: Hollow.

Released in 2026 Spy Satellite Records

Track listing
1. Tomorrow’s Dream 6:45
2. Chasing Smoke 6:30
3. Come Fly Away 3:30
4. Hollow 9:37
5. October Flames 7:07
6. Intolerable Dissent 5:07
7. Plains of Yesterday 6:03

Band members
Imran Manaff – vocals, guitars, bass, synth, drums programming