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Spellbook is among the number of bands that have been hitting the scene in the last few years tapping both the occult-flavored hard rock of the late '70s and the simplistic energy of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal for inspiration. Lyrical themes on their album Magick & Mischief include magic ("Wands to the Sky"), dark landscapes ("Ominous Skies") and magic ("Amulet/Fare Thee Well"). Songs like "Wands to the Sky" and "Amulet/Fare Thee Well" are rocking numbers with strong riffs and catchy choruses, but Spellbook reach way back to the '70s on occasion, culminating with the 11-minute closer "Dead Detectives." This song has a slow pace and a bluesy/jazzy riff with plenty of spoken-word parts designed to move the film noir-inspired story along, though it is ultimately way too long. The contrast between the up-tempo tracks and slower pieces which are barely hard rock gives this album a '70s vibe, like an early Judas Priest or Scorpions album. I don't get the feeling that Spellbook knew exactly what they wanted to do on Magick & Mischief; be an early '80s metal band or a '70s occult hard rock band. There's some decent stuff but it's a disjointed, mixed bag of styles with a lack of consistency.