An all-female Swiss heavy metal ensemble, Burning Witches engage in a punishing blend of old-school power metal and neck-snapping thrash that invokes names like Dio, Judas Priest, and Grave Digger. Founded by guitar player Romana Kalkuhl in 2015 in the town of Brugg, the group coalesced around a lineup that also featured bassist Jeanine Grob, vocalist Seraina Telli, and drummer Lala Frischknecht. The band called on producers V.O. Pulver (Panzer) and Schmier (from Destruction) to help shape their eponymous 2017 debut. The LP caught the attention of Nuclear Blast, which signed the coven the following year. Adding second guitarist Sonia "Anubis" Nusselder, the newly minted five-piece returned in 2018 with their sophomore effort Hexenhammer. Nuclear Blast repackaged the band's debut album with an additional live EP in 2019 under the title Burning Witches + Burning Alive. ~ James Christopher Monger