Pile on top of this highly sweet and savory brew of old school fervor the colossal rhythm section provided by bassist Jeanine Grob and drummer Lala Frischknecht, as well as the production magic of German thrash legend Schmier and Poltergeist icon V.O. Dutch vocalist and jagged-edged impresario Laura Guldemond makes yet another stellar showing since stepping in for original singer Seraina Telli, recalling the lioness-like power and rasp of Doro Pesch and Jutta Weinhold during their respective 80s heyday, while still relative newcomer and guitarist Larissa Ernst continues to cut heads masterfully with co-founder Romana Kalkuhl, putting forth a blend of pulverizing riff work and richly harmonized lead exchanges that would make Iron Maiden and Judas Priest proud.

Though still a comparatively young outfit, the road already traveled has not been without a few bumps for this fold, and the performance they turn in here definitely betrays the wisdom of a battle-tested regiment. The birth of their fifth portfolio of studio incantations dubbed “The Dark Tower” (not to be confused with the Stephen King novel series) continues their highly consistent output of communicating the sounds of 4 decades past into a modern context with caution thrown to the proverbial wind.

Drawing from the same blend of raw yet melodic, 80s styled speed and aggression that typified the heavier side of the old style and the feminine mystique that came with such notable acts as Warlock, Zed Yago and Leather, this quintet of highly skilled up-and-comers have been repeatedly upping the ante since their 2015 inception, bringing the classic metal tropes of witchcraft and archaic evil into the present day synthesis of the traditional style with power metal. The world at large will no doubt continue to be dumbfounded at how every prediction of metal’s oncoming demise has proven as accurate as the Jehova’s witness various predictions of the apocalypse, but one clue that may help clear things up is the string of resurrection spells being cast in the form of studio LPs courtesy of Switzerland’s latest and possibly most auspicious act, Burning Witches. Part throwback, part modern, all classic metal!

A Witch Without Magic by Larisa Walk