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Burning Witches: Dance With The Devil
Burning Witches - Dance With The Devil Art Work

Burning Witches: Dance With The Devil

Heavy/Power Metal
4.0/5.0

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Nuclear Blast
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 04.03.2020 | Released: 06.03.2020

We've know the camaraderie that lives within the underground metal community, with fans and bands alike. Traditionally all male metal bands might often refer to themselves as a band of brothers. Well, what about a heavy metal band of sisters, not literally of course. But that's what Swiss metal maidens Burning Witches consider themselves. They're like-minded musical soul mates on a quest of friendship and delivering classic heavy metal to the masses. Burning Witches returns with their third long player, which features new vocalist Laura Guldemond (ex-Shadowrise).

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Burning Witches

Essentially, these gals wear their influences on their leather studded sleeves: from Iron Maiden to DIO to Judas Priest. Guitarist Romana Kalkuhl put it this way: "Of course we listen to modern music, of course we like a lot of bands from Switzerland. It's just that we like the UK of the seventies and eighties even more." I'm guessing her father (or mother) is missing more than a few heavy metal vinyl classics from his record collection.

With that said, you know the drill: twin guitar harmony, plenty of gallop and groove from the rhythm section, epic solos to finish, and Ms Guldemond's bit raw, metal shrieking over top. (Needless to say, she's an acquired taste.) After a rather creepy vocal intro, Burning Witches jumps into some blistering power metal with Lucid Nightmare. But this is just the start, the raging metal continues with Wings Of Steel, The Final Fight, and Sea Of Lies, which finds Guldemond adding some slight death growls. Alternatively some songs offer a mix of steady heavy metal to the speed of power metal, such as Six Feet Underground and Necronomicon. With Black Magic you get something a dialed back metal anthem, complete with acoustic guitar, fine vocal harmony, and a rising guitar solo. For the closing number, guitar legend Ross The Boss joins the gals on the cover of Manowar's Battle Hymn from 1982. All said, and once more, with Dance With The Devil, Burning Witches offers another blistering album of traditional heavy power metal for the 21st century. Recommended.


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The Bottom Line

All said, and once more, with Dance With The Devil, Burning Witches offers another blistering album of traditional heavy power metal for the 21st century. Recommended.

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