LIVE REVIEW: Burning Witches @ Academy 3, Manchester
Five-piece Swiss heavy/power metallers BURNING WITCHES set out on their 2026 Witches and Kings tour with support from theatrical German power metal band HAMMER KING, with Manchester being one of three stops in the UK amidst their European dates.
HAMMER KING welcomed the audience to their kingdom as they began their theatrical portion of the evening, a set which felt closer to a co-headline set, as opposed to a support act. Frontman Titan Fox V towered over the audience as he announced they are here to “Make Metal Royal Again”, the title track of the second song of the night, a motto which also featured on the gold coins he threw out into the crowd.
The band’s set was jam-packed with the lead singer teaching the lyrics to shout along to, encouraging chants, brandishing an oversized hammer, and roaring riffs throughout. This was then topped off by a performance of their cover of KENNY LOGGINS‘ Danger Zone straight from the soundtrack of Top Gun, which went down extremely well with the audience, who sang along throughout.
To finish out their set, Fox V announced he would be recording the crowd to watch back at home, as he brought out a camera, which he waved around in the direction of the audience to capture the moment. For their first UK appearance, HAMMER KING have definitely left a lasting impression and a high standard to follow, making it all the more exciting to see what they get up to next time they visit.
Rating: 8/10
BURNING WITCHES follow up with a more serious and polished approach to power metal. The members of the all-female group are each powerhouses within their own right, performing expertly with ease. Based on crowd reaction alone, the band proved they didn’t need any gimmicks, with the stage decorated with nothing but their band logo and a couple of skull banners, while fans blew back the hair of each member with every hair flick. The only additional props for this set are the devil horn mask sported by singer Laura Guldemond for Dance With the Devil and the severed head held by a cloaked figure before the band plays Hexenhammer towards the end of their set.
The audience was gripped from start to finish, held within the grasp of frontwoman Guldemond and her powerful vocals, as she frequently held out the microphone to encourage the audience to sing back. This was about the extent of the audience interaction, aside from asking the audience for “fire” after forgetting the word lighter and making a joke about going for a smoke, before launching into Release Me, the ballad track from their latest album Inquisition, of which a good portion of the songs from the setlist feature on. The setlist then jolts in the opposite direction, with Black Widow followed by Evil Witch, getting the audience back into the momentum for the final stretch of the show. Guldemond keeps the audience on their toes by disappearing off the stage and reappearing through the back of the room to perform Lucid Nightmare amongst the crowd.
Overall, the show was a sight to behold from both bands, with an almost intimate feel in the low-ceiling venue while simultaneously being packed out. Whether you prefer theatrics or just straight-up power metal with no extras, everyone left feeling satisfied with their Sunday night offerings.
Rating: 8/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Libby Percival here:
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