Witchfinder General (band)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Expand german Template:Infobox musical artist
Witchfinder General was an English heavy metal and doom metal band from Stourbridge. They were part of the new wave of British heavy metal and have been cited as a major influence on the doom metal genre.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They were named after the 1968 British horror film Witchfinder General, itself based upon the infamous witchhunter known as Matthew Hopkins.<ref name="LarkinHM">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The band's sound has been described as a "raw, post-Sabbath grind."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> AllMusic assessed that while Witchfinder General did not achieve the commercial or critical success of other bands from the new wave of British heavy metal, their influence on the emergence on doom metal could not be ignored.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
History
Witchfinder General formed in 1979 by Zeeb Parkes and Phil Cope in Stourbridge, England, as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement during the early 1980s.<ref name="LarkinHM"/> They were strongly influenced by Black Sabbath, and have been described as one of the pioneers of the doom metal style. The band's importance was acknowledged mostly after they disbanded. Witchfinder General disbanded sometime in 1984 amidst reported controversy of their sexually explicit album covers in the UK.Template:Cn
The band (minus vocalist and writer Zeeb Parkes) reformed in November 2006 – with new vocalist Gary Martin. 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" in 2006. The band released their third full-length album Resurrected in 2008.Template:Cn
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)
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layer:back color:studio at:10/01/1982 at:05/01/1983 at:08/30/2008
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bar:Zeeb text:"Zeeb Parkes" bar:Gary text:"Gary Martin" bar:Phil text:"Phil Cope" bar:Johnny text:"Johnny Fisher" bar:Kevin text:"Kevin McCready" bar:Rod text:"Rod Hawkes" bar:Steve text:"Steve Kinsell" bar:Graham text:"Graham Ditchfield" bar:Dermot text:"Dermot Redmond"
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width:11 bar:Zeeb from:01/01/1979 till:07/01/1984 color:vocals bar:Gary from:11/01/2006 till:end color:vocals bar:Phil from:01/01/1979 till:07/01/1984 color:guitar bar:Phil from:03/01/1982 till:11/01/1982 color:bass width:3 bar:Phil from:11/01/2006 till:end color:guitar bar:Johnny from:01/01/1979 till:12/31/1980 color:bass bar:Kevin from:01/01/1981 till:03/01/1982 color:bass bar:Rod from:11/01/1982 till:07/01/1984 color:bass bar:Rod from:11/01/2006 till:end color:bass bar:Steve from:01/01/1979 till:03/01/1982 color:drums bar:Graham from:03/01/1982 till:07/01/1983 color:drums bar:Dermot from:07/01/1983 till:07/01/1984 color:drums bar:Dermot from:11/01/2006 till:end color:drums
</timeline>
Discography
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)
Other releases
- Buried Amongst the Ruins (2007)