Nick Pipitone of Monster Riff described how the band are "influenced just as much by Dr. John and Mississippi bluesman Junior Kimbrough as they are by Black Sabbath and progressive metal" and that their music can "venture from bluesy riffs and folk tales to spacey neo-psychedelic to punishing doom rock." Similarly, Rob Hughes of Classic Rock Magazine noted how "[All Them Witches are] as likely to create boiling riptides of bluesy psychedelia as they are pools of mystic folk and doomy ambience."
The band consists of Charles Michael Parks, Jr (vocals, bass, guitar), Ben Mcleod (guitar, formerly vocals) and Robby Staebler (drums). Formed in 2012, All Them Witches were quick to release their debut, Our Mother Electricity. It consisted of a heavy blend of stoner rock-y guitars and bass, rhodes and powerful, rhythmic drums. This would set the cornerstone for their sound, soon developing into the more mysterious grooves and atmosphere on 2013's followup Lightning At The Door. This release gained real traction for the band and gave them their likely most well-known track to date, When God Comes Back.
Taking a break from the creative front, the band released a live album in 2015, featuring a bluesy cover of Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign. Not long after, they announced their third studio release, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker. Much like the rest of their catalogue, this album truly showcased every member's best abilities. From calm opener Call Me Star to emotional ending track Blood And Sand/Milk And Endless Waters, the album won fans' hearts, and gained the band more well deserved attention.
That brings us to their 2016 live release, recorded from a show in Brussels, which contains the band playing older songs as well as another cover, being of Abner Jay's My Middle Name Is The Blues.
Keyboardist/violinist Allan van Cleave left the band around this time, shortly replaced by keyboardist Jonathan Draper.
Not long after, in February 2017, they came out with another amazing record. Sleeping Through The War made quick success, being a unique, spacey album notably produced by Dave Cobb. It added dynamics and, surprisingly, more atmosphere to what was already a steadily evolving sound from such an active, young band.
2018's self-titled ATW was announced to be the band's first release without a keyboard player, after Draper's departure. This album's characteristics include groovy stoner riffs with blues influence, slowing down and speeding up throughout the LP, ending with the haunting Rob's Dream.
Nearly two years later, and after a lot of touring, the band has come out with their latest record, Nothing As The Ideal, recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Harboring a sound akin to that of their single 1X1, this album is by far the group's heaviest--though it does contain softer ballads like Everest and the incredibly emotional Rats in Ruin.
41
All Them Witches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The best of men
Live the word at length
And cherish it
All in time
All of me
All divine
When the going looks like returning
The road is mighty dark
Common man
On common ground
Picks it up
And sets it down
Standing like shifting tides
Soon to swell, soon to ride
When the going looks like returning
The road is mighty dark
The great form
Has no shape nor evilness upon its face
The great form
Has no shape nor evilness upon its face
The lowest of them all
Will laugh and laugh
But none will hear the call
Of the ancient breath
All in time
All of me
All divine
Reverie
When the going's like the returning
The road is mighty dark
The great form
Has no shape nor evilness upon its face
The great form
Has no shape nor evilness upon its face
The great form
Has no shape nor evilness upon its face
The great form
Has no shape nor evilness upon its face
The lyrics of "41" by All Them Witches primarily focus on the contemplations of a person about the importance of living by the word and the journey of life. The opening lines of the song suggest the admiration towards the ideals of the best among men who cherish and follow the word at length. The lyrics acknowledge that living by the word requires time, devotion, and a divine sense of self-reflection, represented by the words "All in time, all of me, all divine, reverie."
The song then shifts to a reflection on the common man, who despite being on common ground, is responsible for picking up and setting things down. The lyrics depict the common man's resilience in the face of challenges, described as standing like shifting tides, soon to swell and ride. The repeated line "When the going looks like returning, the road is mighty dark" suggests that even in dark times, there is always the hope and possibility of overcoming obstacles.
The later part of the song describes an unidentifiable great form, which the lyrics suggest has no shape or evilness upon its face, indicating that there is more significant meaning behind the form. The lowest of them all will laugh and laugh, but no one will hear their call. The song ends with a final repetition of the idea that the great form has no shape or evilness upon its face.
Line by Line Meaning
Hearing of the way
Listening to the teachings
The best of men
The most virtuous people
Live the word at length
Follow the teachings closely and thoroughly
And cherish it
Value and care for it
All in time
Everything happens when it's meant to
All of me
My entire being
All divine
Connected to the divine
Reverie
A state of daydreaming or meditation
When the going looks like returning
When it seems like returning to the past
The road is mighty dark
The path is uncertain and difficult
Common man
Average person
On common ground
In shared circumstances
Picks it up
Grabs hold of it
And sets it down
Puts it into practice
Standing like shifting tides
Unstable and fluctuating
Soon to swell, soon to ride
About to grow and move forward
The great form
The ultimate, spiritual essence
Has no shape nor evilness upon its face
Is formless and not inherently good or evil
The lowest of them all
The least enlightened or evolved
Will laugh and laugh
Will be ignorant and dismissive
But none will hear the call
Won't be receptive to spiritual guidance
Of the ancient breath
Of the timeless, universal life force
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Benjamin Robert McLeod, Charles Michael Parks, James Robert Staebler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Attackof Tentacle
[Intro]
Nearing of the wave
Best of man
Live the word at length
Cherish it
[Verse 1]
All in time
All of me
All divine
[?]
[Chorus]
When the going feels like returning
The road is mighty dark
[Verse 2]
Common men
Common ground
Picks it up
Sets it down
Standing light
Shifting tides
Swim to swell
Sure to ride
[Chorus]
When the going feels like returning
The road is mighty dark
[Post-Chorus]
The Great Form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
The Great Form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
[Bridge]
Lowest of them all
Laugh and laugh
None will hear the call
Of the ancient breath
[Verse 1]
All in time
All of me
All divine
[?]
[Chorus]
When the going feels like returning
The road is mighty dark
[Post-Chorus]
The Great Form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
The Great Form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
[Instrumental break]
[Outro]
The Great Form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
The Great Form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
JackAlope!
Hearing of the way
The best of men
Live the word at length
And cherish it
All in time
All of me
All divine
Reverie
When the going looks like returning
The road is mighty dark
Common man
On common ground
Picks it up
And sets it down
Standing like shifting tides
Soon to swell, soon to ride
When the going looks like returning
The road is mighty dark
The great form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
The great form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
Lowest of them all
Will laugh and laugh
None will hear the call
The ancient breath
All in time
All of me
All divine
Reverie
When the going's like the returning
The road is mighty dark
The great form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
The great form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
The great form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
The great form
Has no shame nor evilness upon its face
Meredith Avila
This song is a masterpiece, builds tension to release it with more tension in at least three different ways. I have goosebumps the whole time
Kettlebell Muscle Gain - Joe Daniels
agreed!
vincent farrentino
The more I hear this band the more I like them
Marshall Johnson
So far everything from this album is just amazing. Please let there be a future in which I get to see these guys play live.
heart & Soul 37 Muskie Trout
Yeah I just found out about them like probably a year ago and kept my eyes out to see if they play anywhere around here now with this whole ritual bowlshit going around if they do do this to her the closest they played in me is 5 and 1/2 hours you would either have to be Baltimore Pittsburgh's way too far from upstate New York there's plenty of places they could play in New York and be welcomed outside New York City
Lee
@heart & Soul 37 Muskie Trout they were supposed to play in Asbury Park in April. Still a journey depending how far upstate you are though
Brian O.
I'm hoping they can come to Southwest Michigan sometime in the near future.
🐉💀👽🎸🎶🎵🧠🌌
89 GT 5.0
They came through last year opening for Mastadon and Primus.
Jim Bob
89 GT 5.0 2 years ago now I think
grahamman80
The guitar tone on this album is quite simply, phenomenal.