Witchfynde's third album, Cloak and Dagger, arrived after a near three-year hiatus from which most people never expected the band to return. Still, the British quartet led by enigmatic guitarist Montalo weren't quite ready to call it a day just yet, drafting singer Luther Beltz and bassist Pete Surgey to attempt a comeback with this release. Sadly for them, this was not to be. Too much time had elapsed and the band's inexplicable toning down of both their heavy metal aggression as well as their dark and sinister attitude with second album Stagefright had upset many among their original fan base. Whether these fans felt truly betrayed, or simply sensed a lack of conviction whose "whys" or "wherefores" could hardly be expressed in words, no amount of renewed purpose to the cause of heavy metal or demonic subject matter could help Cloak and Dagger repair the wounds. For the most part, songs like "The Devil's Playground," "Cry Wolf," and the title track offer pedestrian '80s metal with little to write home about, while showcasing new man Beltz's questionable and excessive usage of a falsetto style made famous by
King Diamond -- you know the one. Meanwhile, plodding, non-committal rockers with absolutely nothing to say like "Stay Away" and "Rock'n'Roll" further detract from occasional stabs at melodic but respectable numbers such as "Somewhere to Hide" and the surprisingly energetic "I'd Rather Go Wild" -- probably the only entry here that has truly aged well. Few cared at the time, however, and following further difficulties resulting from their record company's bankruptcy,
Witchfynde would find themselves having to start from scratch once again. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia