WitchDoktors – Izzatso? – Review

Label: Bomber Music

Genre: Garage \ Punk 

Release Date: October 31st 2025 

Line Up: 

Andy Last – Vocals & Guitar,

Tony Major – Guitar & Vocals,

Lee Page – Bass & Vocals,

Joe Colfar – Drums & Vocals,

Tracklisting:

• Lightning Strike
• Before The War
• High Dry & Burned
• Freedom Fighter
• One Shot
• Planet of Pain
• Jezebel
• Spanner in the Works
• God Knows
• Candy Star
• Kicking the Can

To quote the band’s press release, “It’s WitchDoktors with a fukin’ K!!”, and that perfectly sums up the attitude of London’s garage punks. There bio describes them as ‘legends, almost’, and they are without a shadow of a doubt the sort of band that deserved to be huge and watched the dross pass them by on the way to the big leagues. Formed in 1992 they have long established themselves as one of the UK’s greatest ever Garage Punk bands. A 5 Year residency at Soho’s 12 Bar Club in London and hundreds of live performances across the country and overseas has seen them rise from underground villains of rock’n’roll to legitimate hoodlums of guitar fuelled chaos! They have shared the stage with many of their own heroes (& influences) such as The Damned, Cramps, Fleshtones, Revillos, Urban Voodoo Machine, Legendary Shack Shakers, The Germs, Wreckless Eric and many others.

If that’s not enough to convince you that their latest album ‘Izzatso?’ is worth checking out then imagine the perfect mix of The Clash, Bad Religion, The Damned and you’ve got the sort of music that could, should and does appeal to millions around the world. The key now is simply to spread the word.

The word may well have been a trickle, ensuring that the die-hard fans get to see their heroes in venues like The 100 Club on London’s Oxford Street, but in reality, I’d like to see them fill out the Hammersmith Apollo or Wembley Arena with a supporting cast of classic acts to follow. There is a tour coming up, you need , need, need, to be there: 

Link to Gig List

Lead single, ‘Before The War’, coming originally from the double A side limited edition single available on Bomber Music on Blue or Red vinyl, links below; “Before The War” focuses on the impact of PTSD both around us and amongst us. A % of the profits from this release are being donated to the charity PTSDUK.

‘One Shot’ the fifth track on the album has been repeat played so much over the last few weeks that if it was a cassette copy, I’d be looking to buy a new one as it would have worn through the tape by now. With the catch and return vocal style of Andy Last (vocals/guitar) and Tony Major (guitar/vocals) making the track all the more impressive, I wondered if the rest of the album could stand up to the same level of scrutiny and by God, I’m not disappointed. ‘Planet of Pain’ goes one better by adding Michael Monroe levels of saxophone to the song, ‘Jezebel’ makes me miss Joe Strummer more than ever, ‘Spanner in the Works’ takes me back to the classic 2-Tone era in the late 70s and so it continues. Every track sits next to its neighbour perfectly yet it’s the most diverse collection of tunes, all glued together with the special sauce Andy and Tony seemingly produce with ease.

If Ferrero Rocher did Quality Street did Garage Punk Rock then we’d be able to suggest “With these WitchDoktors you’re really spoiling us”. Absolutely fantastic. I cannot recommend this enough.

Score 10/10

ADRIAN HEXTALL

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