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Witchfinder General | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Stourbridge, England |
| Genres | Heavy metal, doom metal |
| Years active | 1979–1984 2006–2008 |
| Labels | Heavy Metal Records |
| Past members | Phil Cope Johnny Fisher Steve Kinsell Zeeb Parkes Kevin McCready Graham Ditchfield Rod Hawkes Dermot Redmond Gary Martin |
| Website |
witchfindergeneral |
Witchfinder General was an English heavy metal band from Stourbridge. 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. [1] [2] They were named after the 1968 British horror film Witchfinder General. [3]
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. [3] They were strongly influenced by Black Sabbath, and have been described as one of the pioneers of the doom metal style.[ citation needed] The band's importance was acknowledged mostly after they disbanded.[ citation needed] Witchfinder General disbanded sometime in 1984 amidst reported controversy of their sexually explicit album covers in the UK.
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.
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
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)
See also
References
- ^ "Heavy Metal Classifications: A History of Doom Metal — Metal Descent". Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ^ Jennings, Christopher (9 April 2013). "10 Greatest Doom Metal Albums Of All Time". WhatCulture.com.
- ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 390. ISBN 0-85112-656-1.
External links
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