BURNING WITCHES – Pioneering a new era

Following the classic heavy metal tones of their previous record, ‘The Dark Tower’ (2023), on this their sixth studio album (due 25th August 2025), Swiss metal merchants Burning Witches return with a darker, more thunderous brew — diving headfirst into the themes of medieval persecution, religious oppression, and the unbreakable spirit of resistance.

Burning Witches and a bold new era

Featuring 12 brand-new tracks, the album marks a bold new era: forged in the flames of power/heavy metal, sharpened by anthemic songwriting and epic instrumentation. And let’s not forget the high-octane vocals of Laura Guldemond.

Let the dance begin

With booming drums, Latin chants, and eerie guitar melodies, opener ‘Sanguini Hominum’ sets a harrowing mood for the medieval power/heavy metal madness of ‘Soul Eater’. Next up, ‘Shame’ is a slightly slower heavy metal corker with a fist-pumping chorus.

The new album of Burning Witches

The album continues in a similar vein, with faves of mine within the 12 outstanding head bangers being the melodic ‘The Spell Of The Skull’ with its catchy chorus, the equally melodic metal thumper ‘High Priestess Of The Night’, and ‘In The Eye Of The Storm’, a real banger. And the band can even slow it down with the magical power ballad ‘Release Me’, and I can be a sucker for the occasional metal ballad, too. The album closes with the haunting ‘Malus Maga’

In short

To summarise, the band consistently delivers high-energy and engaging music on this album, blending traditional late 80s metal with fresh, exciting, melodic, and menacing elements, and I have to add that this is well worth spending your hard-earned cash.

Tracklist

1. Sanguini Hominum
2. Soul Eater
3. Shame
4. The Spell of the Skull
5. Inquisition
6. High Priestess of the Night
7. Burn in Hell
8. Release Me
9. In for the Kill
10. In the Eye of the Storm
11. Mirror, Mirror
12. Malus Maga

Line Up

• Romana Kalkuhl – Guitar
• Laura Guldemond – Vocals
• Courtney Cox – Guitar
• Jay Grob – Bass
• Lala Frischknecht – Drums

Inquisition will be released via Napalm Records on August 22, 2025, and can be pre-ordered here.

Follow Marissa Nadler on Instagram, Facebook and her official website.