| Witchfnder General | |
|---|---|
 Witchfinder General as depicted on the "Burning A Sinner" single. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Stourbridge, England |
| Genres | Heavy Metal, Doom Metal, NWOBHM |
| Years active | 1979 - 1984, 2006 - 2008 |
| Labels | Heavy Metal Records, Buried By Time and Dust, Nuclear War Now! |
| Website | Witchfinder General Official Page |
Witchfinder General were a heavy metal band from Stourbridge, England. They were part of the new wave of British heavy metal scene and have been cited as a major influence on the doom metal genre. They were also best known for using topless witches on their album covers (One of which was famous model Joanna Newsom).
They were named after the 1968 British horror film Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price. Notably, they were mentioned by the Angry Video Game Nerd in two different episodes of his series as a band worth listening to.
History[]
Initial Run (1979 - 1984)[]
Witchfinder General formed in 1979 by Zeeb Parkes & Phil Cope in Stourbridge, England, as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement during the early 1980s. They were strongly influenced by Black Sabbath, and are widely known today as one of the pioneers of the doom metal style. Two albums came in 1982 (Death Penalty) and 1983 (Friends of Hell), both of which garnered controversy for use of nude models at a sacrifice on their album covers. The controversy would have an adverse effect and the band would ultimately disband in 1984 with their importance being acknowledged mostly after they disbanded.
Reunion (2006 - 2008)[]
The band (minus vocalist & songwriter Zeeb Parkes) reformed in November 2006, with new vocalist Gary Martin. The reunion stemmed from a series of reissues of Witchfinder General material. In 2007 the band released Buried Amongst the Ruins, a compilation CD featuring the "Burning a Sinner" single, the Soviet Invasion EP, and four live tracks including a live version of the unreleased track "Phantasmagorical". Whilst stating they would not perform live again, the band released their third full-length Resurrected in 2008 before disbanding once more.
Discography[]
Studio Albums[]
- Death Penalty (1982, Heavy Metal Records)
- Friends of Hell (1983, Heavy Metal Records)
- Resurrected (2008, Buried By Time and Dust)
Misc. Releases[]
- Burning A Sinner (7" Single) (1981, Heavy Metal Records)
- Soviet Invasion! (12" EP) (1982, Heavy Metal Records)
- Music (Single) (1983, Heavy Metal Records)
- Live '83 (Live Album) (2006, Nuclear War Now!, Buried By Time And Dust Records)
- Buried Amongst The Ruins (Compilation) (2007, Nuclear War Now!, Buried By Time And Dust Records)
Members[]
- Phil Cope - Guitars (1979 - 1984, 2006 - 2008)
- Johnny Fisher - Bass (1979 - 1980)
- Steve Kinsell - Drums (1979 - 1982)
- Zeeb Parkes - Vocals (1979 - 1984)
- Kevin McCready AKA Toss - Bass (1981 - 1982; died 2008)
- Rod Hawks - Bass (1982 - 1984, 2006 - 2008)
- Graham Ditchfield - Drums (1982 - 1983)
- Dermot Redmond AKA Derm The Germ - Drums (1983 - 1984, 2006 - 2008)
- Gary Martin - Vocals (2007 - 2008)