When BURNING WITCHES come together, the world is ablaze! With just a sip of their bewitched brew of heavy metal, the quintet whisks the listener back to the heyday of the hottest and cruelest era in rock history. Inspired by the trademarks of classic 80s heavy metal - like skyscraper guitar solos, bludgeoning, raspy vocals and screams, and fast paced drums - BURNING WITCHES unleash a searing attack once more with their fifth studio album and Napalm Records debut, The Dark Tower, out May 5, 2023. Fasten your broom’s seatbelt for this wild and fiery ride!
Rise Of Darkness is gently opening with female chants and a very soft touch. It’s hard to believe until we hear a man who starts telling the dark and scary story.
Unleash The Beast starts roaring, guitars speeded up, whilst the drums are hard hitting. The tempo is very high, whilst the vocals are very sharp! The title of the songs tells it all! This is exactly what fans all over the world are expecting from this band: hard, fast, filled with bloodlust, loud and sharp! It will be the perfect track to open a live set with and will become pretty fast a fan favourite song!
Renegade starts with an 80’s Scorpions feel and Laura Guldemond bringing the dark story, leading the pack of witches! I adore the retro touch! The bridge halfway is perfect if you want to catch some breath!
Evil Witch hits hard, brings the typical story of this band. The music sounds a bit softer and more polished.
World On Fire is a nicely pumped up and on fire track. This one will be a great one to perform on stage as the chorus asks for a scream along and the other passages invite to headbang or lift your arms!
Tomorrow starts like a ballad and sounds really good, a bit unexpected here but I adore it as it shows the softer side of the band and widens the vocal/music range. Time to use the mobile as a light and start waving with it! They described it well in the promo talk: “Bittersweet melodies float up to the sky like weightless feathers, carrying a message of five confident women.”
House Of Blood is a short narrative horror story.
BURNING WITCHES sound sharp, catchy, hard and fuelled in the title track: The Dark Tower. Be ready to rock and scream along!
Heart Of Ice sounds warm, hard, fast (like a fast running horse). Towards the end I spot a bit of melancholia in the vocals.
Arrow Of Time has a nice leading guitar whilst Laura’s voice sounds a bit deeper, filled with a bit of soul and bass. The chorus sounds powerful.
Doomed To Die sounds like the perfect track for this band: speeded up, energetic, a powerful chorus and a great overall sound! The live version will be on fire!
Into The Unknown is the longest song on the album and sounds indeed really epic. I hear a bit of melancholia and an old school 80’s rock sound mixed with a warm ballad feel. It’s the perfect one to catch some breath and hear the softer side of the band.
The Lost Souls closes the album with a last blast and a devilish sound. Expect a good riff, hammering drums and lots of screaming (in all kind of tones).
BURNING WITCHES launched a great album with a cool retro sound coming from the glory days of heavy metal, but mix it also with a modern touch and their own energy and their own sound! It will be also a great one to hear most of the tracks on stage! I’m glad they confirmed my high expectations (after seeing them on stage last summer).
BURNING WITCHES are:
Jeanine Grob – Bass
Lala Frischknecht – Drums
Romana Kalkuhl – Guitars
Laura Guldemond – Vocals
Larissa Ernst – Guitars
Make sure to catch BURNING WITCHES live at their The Dark Tower release shows:
12.05.2023 - Pratteln, CH / Z7
17.05.2023 - Oberhausen, DE / Resonanzwerk
18.05.2023 – Diest, BE / Hell
