Lightning at the Door
Lightning at the Door makes a strong impression through the way its songs fit together. All Them Witches move between blues, heavy riffs and open psychedelic passages, with the musicians leaving each other enough room to change the feel. The arrangements can sound loose, but there is a clear sense of purpose beneath them. The album's atmosphere grows from those choices as much as from the guitar tones.
Funeral For A Great Drunken Bird opens patiently, letting the guitar and keyboards establish the mood before the voice becomes a larger part of the music. When God Comes Back then applies more force. Its heavier boogie rhythm and rough vocal give the opening sequence an immediate lift without breaking the connection between the songs.
The Marriage Of Coyote Woman slows the pace again. Bass, Rhodes piano and harmonica make the arrangement feel spacious, with the guitar moving naturally around them. The quieter setting helps its melody make a strong impression. Swallowed By The Sea begins from an even smaller place before developing into heavier riffs and a wider jam.
Charles William is a more compact example of the band's strengths. The voice and keyboards add melody to a steady, propulsive rhythm, making the song memorable without needing a large change of style. The Death Of Coyote Woman takes a less predictable route, interrupting its opening riff before building another groove from the space left behind.
Romany Dagger gives the sequence a short instrumental change, bringing a different folk character into the sound. Mountain then closes with a patient build around drums, bass and layered guitar. The heavier final section feels earned because the band have taken time to establish the rhythm underneath it.
The record works best as a complete sequence, so listeners looking mainly for quick, separate highlights may need time to settle into its pace. Its older blues and rock influences are also easy to hear. Yet Lightning at the Door gives those familiar ingredients a distinctive shape. The playing has room to breathe, the quieter moments remain engaging and the heavier passages arrive with purpose. It is a confident, absorbing album with a clear identity of its own.
