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"Paralyzed belies its name by crackling with motion, energy and speed, coming across with a punkish velocity that is emphasised by the garage-style production. Mascis plays the drums loosely, much the same way he plays guitar. As the driving rhythmic force of Witch, his languid but hard-hitting beats propel the songs with an angsty slouch that belies his age. To be honest, Paralyzed could easily pass for the work of a younger band, because it has that rawness and passion that characterises first albums. Alongside Mascis’ backbeats run the simple rolling melodies of Dave Sweetapple’s basslines, and topping the two is the jangling distorted guitar work of Thomas, the sound of old single-coil pick-ups pushing through battered amps, playing chords that stagger out of the garage reeking of bong water and craving for junk food. Witch haven’t forgotten what makes rock’n'roll so much fun when you’re young … and when you’re not so young, too."
"Paralyzed also has that devil-may-care attitude that can’t be faked, a wild combination of fun and seriousness that sounds impossible on paper. And this is where the magic of Witch truly lies; in a musical environment where tightness and polish is the order of the day, hearing music as slack and playful as Paralyzed is a real breath of fresh air.
Whichever way you slice it, Paralyzed is a glorious racket of an album - full of fire, fun and attitude. Whether the time is right for Witch to sweep aside the slick pseudo-punk and glossy metal of the moment in a wave of gritty fuzz remains to be seen. But we can rest assured that, whatever they may achieve, Witch are having a whole lot of fun doing it."
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