Originally a side-project, Andrew Godfrey has made Transylvania Stud his primary outlet for all things rock n’ roll. With the renaissance of classic heavy metal coming to a boil, there isn’t much room for hooks or pop sensibilities. But this where Transylvania Stud blows the competitions’ doors in. Be it his debut Red Queen, the blistering follow-up White Witch, or the handful of Soundgarden covers gracing Bandcamp, Godfrey feels like family to us here at 50Thirdand3rd and beyond. I’ve had the honor of covering each of his releases over the past few years and was beyond stoked to find he unleashed his latest with zero hype beforehand.
On this surprise release, Godfrey has teamed up with Nashville’s finest, The By Gods for a blistering cover of the 2006 would-be classic from Queens Of The Stone Age, “Burn The Witch”. While the original had it’s roots firmly planted in gnarly blues-rock thanks to ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Godfrey and co. turn the kick it up a notch, plus tax with an overall emphasis on groove and tension.
The music video for “Burn The Witch” is like a 1960s psychedelic reel of avant-garde horror imagery including (but not limited to) cemeteries, snake handlers, ominous cloaked figures, exorcisms, and of course, a witch! Spoiler alert: there are no fires. However, you don’t need an actual fire when you get Godfrey and The By Gods in a studio together anyway!
2020 has been a long, complicated year and I don’t even have to go over all the reasons. But it warms my heart to see and hear my favorite artists are still finding a way to persevere despite the inability to tour or play live shows. On the surface, “Burn The Witch” may be a single one-off track on Bandcamp and YouTube, but for me, it’s like a beacon of hope. We will survive or die trying, and what better soundtrack than Transylvania Stud?
Download “Burn The Witch” as well as Transylvania Stud’s complete catalog on Bandcamp
To purchase physical copies of Red Queen and White Witch, visit Transcending Records.
