Swiss metallers BURNING WITCHES will release their fourth full-length album, “The Witch Of The North”, on May 28 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Following 2020’s “Dance Of The Devil”, which charted at #22 in Germany, and the “Circle Of Five” EP, vocalist Laura Guldemond, guitarists Romana Kalkuhl and Larissa Ernst, bassist Jeanine Grob and drummer Lala Frischknecht notably upped the ante on “The Witch Of The North”, delivering their most dynamic, intricate and powerful album thus far. Perfectly mixed and mastered by V.O. Pulver and produced by German thrash titan Schmier (DESTRUCTION), the LP sees BURNING WITCHES stick to their irrefutable 1980s influences (JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, DIO, ACCEPT, WARLOCK, W.A.S.P., etc.) and inject irresistible energy and a refreshing vibe, topping it off with classic art by Claudio Bergamín (who illustrated JUDAS PRIEST‘s triumphant “Firepower”). From the epic title track to the album’s catchiest anthem “We Stand As One“ over to the ballad “Lady Of The Woods“ and speedy riff attacks like “Thrall”, “Flight Of The Valkyries” and “Nine Worlds”, “The Witch Of The North” marks a new highlight in the band’s career, with vocalist Laura brilliantly shifting from aggressive to seductive with ease.
Says the band: “We are happy and proud to announce the new album already and show you the terrific cover art. We have grown together as a team and have evolved our sound to the next level; the WITCHES 2021 are heavier and more epic than ever! So is the cover: Claudio Bergamín‘s amazing art is the perfect reflection of the record: icy, mystical, timeless and powerful! Please meet the ‘The Witch Of The North‘ and fall in love with our evolution!”
The cover it sets the mood for the enthralling journey through enchanted forests and across snow-capped mountain tops that is “The Witch Of The North.”
Says Bergamín: “The one and only Schmier, from DESTRUCTION, reached out to me to ask if I’d be interested in doing the new BURNING WITCHES album cover. Needless to say, I was delighted to jump on board. The band had a very unique concept so it took me a couple of weeks to come up with an idea I was happy with. They wanted a classic-looking illustration; pretty much in the vibe of Ken Kelly and Frank Frazetta. The Forest Witch was inspired by The Ents from ‘Lord Of The Rings’ and Botticelli‘s ‘Birth Of Venus’. The girls’ depictions were done in pure comic book style, and working on their faces to make them look as close as possible to the real people was a lot of fun. I wish more bands would ask me for that!”
“The Witch Of The North” track listing:
- Winter’s Wrath
- The Witch Of the North
- Tainted Ritual
- We Stand As One
- Flight Of The Valkyries
- The Circle Of Five
- Lady Of The Woods
- Thrall
- Omen
- Nine Worlds
- For Eternity
- Dragon’s Dream
- Eternal Frost
The pre-order for “The Witch Of The North” will start on March 19.
BURNING WITCHES‘ first live performance with Guldemond took place in June 2019 at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden.
The vocalist of the Dutch symphonic metal band SHADOWRISE, Guldemond was recruited by BURNING WITCHES following the departure of Seraina Telli.
