ALBUM REVIEW: Hexenhammer – Burning Witches

After the release of their debut self-titled record just last year, BURNING WITCHES have returned with their new album Hexenhammer. The band formed in 2015 and have been with Nuclear Blast Records since their formation, with the new material following the live album Burning Alive which also came out this year. Hexenhammer is also the first album recorded with guitarist Sonia Nusselder who joined in January this year.

The new record opens with The Witch Circle, which gives you the sensation of something being summoned and really sets the tone as you imagine the members casting a spell. It quickly follows into the next track Executed, the riffs prominent in the opening few seconds to set the pace, and soon enough the powerful vocals of Seriana Telli enter the fray. It’s hard, fast and aggressive, everything you want to hear from an opening track on a metal track. Lords Of War follows next, the riffs becoming more rhythmic as the tempo slows a touch. Seriana’s vocals are also softer in comparison to the first track, but they remain just as powerful to really showcase her range as a vocalist, and the whole song overall is one that will be in very popular demand for live shows.

Hexenhammer‘s title track doesn’t actually appear until the latter stages of the record, which is quite surprising as most bands put it towards the beginning of the album. It is also the longest track on the album, running at almost seven minutes in length, and follows a similar recipe to the other songs on the record, and in fact most of the album overall. There are more instrumental breaks which really add depth to the track, and it is well worth the wait to hear it.

One of the biggest highlights though without any doubt is the final track; Holy Diver. Anyone who’s ever listened to heavy metal at any age will have come across this, one of the biggest metal anthems to be released. It is always difficult to do a cover, especially when it is a song of this stature and having to put your own spin on it. It really is a treat though, and is an absolutely fantastic way to bring the whole record to a finish – the band have been able to maintain the riffs and overall sound of the track, and again Seriana does a brilliant job on vocals to really pay homage to Ronnie James Dio.

Besides the Holy Diver cover, BURNING WITCHES have done a stellar job with Hexenhammer. It’s difficult to stand out in the current scene, especially when it comes to the whole classic heavy metal genre, but the band have done really well to mark their own unique sound and take the metal world by storm. It’s everything you want in a heavy metal album, and the record shows huge promise for BURNING WITCHES, and it’ll be intriguing to see what the future holds for the Swiss metallers.

Rating: 9/10

Hexenhammer is out now via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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