Burning Witches - The Witch from the North Review

Ah, finally! The most awaited album of the year. So far… And the wait was absolutely worth it. In January we reviewed the EP “Circle of Five” as an appetizer to the best yet to come. And it came better than expected. I’m still amazed and dazzled by vocalist Laura’s so flexible voice. The impression one gets is that she is capable of singing anything and, most of all, to apply her mark in anything she does. It’s absolutely stunning and shocking what she does here. Pure witchery, if you ask me. I’m really touched… Just a minute… I’m enjoying.

“The Witch from the North” is pure pleasure cruise. That kind of pleasure that only Metal fans will understand what I mean. Burning Witches, mark this name, my child of the night. This band is the new stapler on Metal music. In the 1970s were The Runaways, in the 1980s were Girlschool, in the 1990s Phantom Blue, and in the 2010s we have Burning Witches. Of course, this is because they are women. I won’t say that is rare to a have an all-female band in Metal music. I won’t say that Metal music has the fame of being sexist. There is no way of denying that. How many bands with female members do you know my dear fan? I guess you can count with the fingers of your hand and many won’t use both hands.

“The Witch from the North” is a flawless album. Fourteen tracks of pure Metal desire and lust performed perfectly by the girls fold. The album is hard as iron, true as steel and as poisonous as the female touch of the witch. As all great Metal bands, their first efforts had the feeling and inspiration of other marvelous bands. Some used to say that Burning Witches were the female Judas Priest. Listent to the intro to “Circle of Five” and tell me the screams you hear don’t remind the intro of Judas Priest’s “Painkiller.” Yeah, I can’t say it’s wrong, but as time, and albums, went by the band grew and acquired that desired own personality. Now Burning Witches are the kind of band that the fan recognises by the first chords. This is much due, as I understand it, to vocalist Laura who brought her very personal and potent voice to the band. She gave the very personal touch the band needed to be recognised as the female Metal band of this time.

There are great moments in “The Witch from the North” and it’s very difficult to point out and pick up one or two songs to say a few words. To be real frank I’d like to write about all of them, but it’s virtually impossible because it would take me too long. However, I’ll pick two songs which I guess tell a lot about Burning Witches personality and image. The first is the intro “Winter’s Wrath” with its touching instrumental and mood. The second is “Lady of the Woods” with its slow cadence and vocal duet of Laura and a male tenor. Just amazing vocals. I have also to highlight the works of drummer Lala who chose the best way to perform the song and the guitars of Romana and Larissa. I’m a fan of Sonia Annubis, but Larissa added a lot to the band with her pristine technique and feeling. Coincidentally two slow and cadenced songs. Of course, I like the fast and furious songs of the band, but I guess those two represents better what the band feel. Just because…

Welcome to the coven!

“The Witch from the North” Burning Witches will be released on May 28th via Nuclear Blast Records.

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