Witchfinder General (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 in Stourbridge, England |
| Founder | Zeeb Parkes, Phil Cope |
| Headquarters | Stourbridge , England |
| Products | Heavy metal and doom metal music |
| Website | www |
Witchfinder General was a heavy metal and doom metal group originating from Stourbridge, England. As part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, they played a crucial role in shaping the doom metal genre.[1][2] Their band name was inspired by the 1968 British horror movie Witchfinder General, which depicts the witch hunter Matthew Hopkins.[3][4]
Musically, their style has been characterized as a "raw, post-Sabbath grind."[5] Although Witchfinder General did not reach the commercial or critical heights of some peers, their influence on doom metal is widely acknowledged.[6]
History
Formed in 1979 by Zeeb Parkes and Phil Cope in Stourbridge, England, Witchfinder General emerged during the early 1980s new wave of British heavy metal era. Drawing inspiration from Black Sabbath, they are credited as early innovators of doom metal. The group dissolved around 1984 following controversy over provocative album artwork in the UK.
In November 2006, the band reassembled without original vocalist Zeeb Parkes, introducing Gary Martin as their new singer. They issued Buried Amongst the Ruins, a compilation CD compiling the "Burning a Sinner" single, the Soviet Invasion EP, plus four live recordings including one previously unreleased track. Their third studio album, Resurrected, was released in 2008.
Members
- Phil Cope – guitar (1979–1984, 2006–2008), bass (1982)
- Johnny Fisher – bass (1979–1980)
- Steve Kinsell – drums (1979–1982)
- Zeeb Parkes – vocals (1979–1984)
- Kevin McCready – bass (1981–1982; died 2008)
- Graham Ditchfield – drums (1982–1983)
- Rod Hawkes – bass (1982–1984, 2006–2008)
- Dermot Redmond – drums (1983–1984, 2006–2008)
- Gary Martin – vocals (2006–2008)
Timeline
Studio albums
- Death Penalty (1982)
- Friends of Hell (1983)
- Resurrected (2008)
Live albums
- Live '83 (2006)
Singles and EPs
- "Burning a Sinner" (1981)
- Soviet Invasion! (1982)
- "Music" (1983)
Additional Releases
- Buried Amongst the Ruins (2007)
Related Topics
External Resources
- ↑ "Heavy Metal Classifications: A History of Doom Metal — Metal Descent". Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ↑ "10 Greatest Doom Metal Albums Of All Time". 9 April 2013.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLarkinHM - ↑ Injection, Metal (2015-08-25). "10 Criminally Overlooked NWOBHM Bands". Retrieved 2025-03-20.
- ↑ Injection, Metal (2015-08-25). "10 Criminally Overlooked NWOBHM Bands". Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- ↑ "Witchfinder General Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bi..." Retrieved 2025-03-19.