Burning Witch
Encyclopedia
Burning Witch was an American
doom metal
band from Seattle, Washington, active between 1995 and 1998.
in 1995, Stephen O'Malley
, Greg Anderson
and Jamie Sykes formed Burning Witch. The band then added G. Stuart Dahlquist and vocalist Edgy 59, rounding out their lineup. Anderson left the band before they had recorded any real Burning Witch songs to start the band Goatsnake
.
In 1996, the band in this incarnation recorded songs with renowned indie producer Steve Albini
, which would become the Towers...
EP. This collection would actually not see a formal release until 1998 on Slap A Ham Records. After the sessions for these songs, Sykes left the band and was replaced by B.R.A.D.
The sessions that followed the Albini recordings resulted in the Rift.Canyon.Dreams
EP, which would prove to be the final recordings by the band, as they broke up soon after the disc was completed. It was released on Merciless Records, but like its predecessor, did not receive much attention outside its scene.
, a compilation CD of the two EPs, was released soon after on Southern Lord Records
, the label founded by Anderson and O'Malley. Burning Witch performed their last shows in the fall of 1998 after which Edgy 59 left for Sinisstar, O'Malley reunited with Anderson to form Sunn O)))
, and Dahlquist joined Anderson in Goatsnake. Currently, O'Malley is in various projects including Sunn O))). Dahlquist and B.R.A.D are in Asva, and Edgy 59 has a project also with G. Stuart Dahlquist called The Poisoned Glass.
There are noticeable differences between the songs on Towers... and Rift. Canyon.Dreams with Towers... being more intense and aggressive and Rift.Canyon.Dreams being more morose and brooding.
The Crippled Lucifer compilation contains all but one song from their two LPs. The Goatsnake / Burning Witch split contains two songs, one from each of the LP recording sessions (and the one omitted from Crippled Lucifer
), and the Asva / Burning Witch split contains the song "Rift. Canyon.Dreams".
A lot of terms have been used to describe Burning Witch's highly untraditional sound. Among these are "suicide doom", "transdimensional drone doom", "true blackened doom", and "molasses sludge". Stephen O'Malley has said these descriptions are "ridiculous", insisting Burning Witch is just slow and heavy doom with unique vocals. There is a natural progression in the sound of Burning Witch to the pair's later project Sunn O))), especially on Black One
. Comparisons can also be made to O'Malley's later project Khanate
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band from Seattle, Washington, active between 1995 and 1998.
History
Burning Witch formed on Capitol Hill, Seattle in early 1995. After the breakup of the doom/death band Thorr's HammerThorr's Hammer
Thorr's Hammer was an American/Norwegian death/doom band.Thorr's Hammer was formed in Ballard, Washington by Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley during winter 1994-1995. Soon after, Runhild Gammelsæter, then 17-year-old Norwegian exchange student, joined the band as vocalist/lyricist. The band...
in 1995, Stephen O'Malley
Stephen O'Malley
Stephen O'Malley is a musician, predominantly a guitarist, producer and composer from Seattle, Washington who has conceptualized and participated in numerous drone doom, death/doom, and experimental music groups....
, Greg Anderson
Greg Anderson (musician)
Greg Anderson is an American musician and co-founder of Southern Lord Records.Anderson is the guitarist in the doom/stoner metal outfit Goatsnake, but is also well known for his collaborations with Stephen O'Malley....
and Jamie Sykes formed Burning Witch. The band then added G. Stuart Dahlquist and vocalist Edgy 59, rounding out their lineup. Anderson left the band before they had recorded any real Burning Witch songs to start the band Goatsnake
Goatsnake
-Biography:Goatsnake was formed in 1996 after the disbanding of The Obsessed. After The Obsessed's disbanding, the rhythm section consisting of Guy Pinhas on bass and Greg Rogers on drums began jamming with guitarist Greg Anderson )))...
.
In 1996, the band in this incarnation recorded songs with renowned indie producer Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
, which would become the Towers...
Towers...
Towers... is the debut EP by the band Burning Witch. It was recorded by renowned indie producer Steve Albini. It was available as a part of the compilation album Crippled Lucifer which is now out of print, but has since been re-released as a 2 disc set Crippled Lucifer , through Southern Lord...
EP. This collection would actually not see a formal release until 1998 on Slap A Ham Records. After the sessions for these songs, Sykes left the band and was replaced by B.R.A.D.
The sessions that followed the Albini recordings resulted in the Rift.Canyon.Dreams
Rift.Canyon.Dreams
Rift.Canyon.Dreams is the second EP by the U.S. doom metal band Burning Witch. It was originally released in 1998 on Merciless Records, to a limited distribution of 500 copies...
EP, which would prove to be the final recordings by the band, as they broke up soon after the disc was completed. It was released on Merciless Records, but like its predecessor, did not receive much attention outside its scene.
Post-breakup
Crippled LuciferCrippled Lucifer
- 2008 reissue :...
, a compilation CD of the two EPs, was released soon after on Southern Lord Records
Southern Lord Records
Southern Lord is an American record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson, specializing in what could broadly be classified as experimental heavy metal, particularly the doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal sub-genres. Some of the more notable artists on the label include Earth, Om,...
, the label founded by Anderson and O'Malley. Burning Witch performed their last shows in the fall of 1998 after which Edgy 59 left for Sinisstar, O'Malley reunited with Anderson to form Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
, and Dahlquist joined Anderson in Goatsnake. Currently, O'Malley is in various projects including Sunn O))). Dahlquist and B.R.A.D are in Asva, and Edgy 59 has a project also with G. Stuart Dahlquist called The Poisoned Glass.
Sound
Most of the music of Burning Witch is very slow and heavy with the drums slowly plodding along with the bass and guitar playing minimalist riffs. Emphasis is usually put on spaces between notes, allowing the bass and guitar to resonate before proceeding to the next note. There are occasional bursts of feedback and noise from O'Malley, but for the most part the guitar and bass follow each other. One of the qualities of Burning Witch is Edgy 59's vocals which alter between a nasal and melodic singing voice to a brutal, tortured, and demented scream or shriek.There are noticeable differences between the songs on Towers... and Rift. Canyon.Dreams with Towers... being more intense and aggressive and Rift.Canyon.Dreams being more morose and brooding.
The Crippled Lucifer compilation contains all but one song from their two LPs. The Goatsnake / Burning Witch split contains two songs, one from each of the LP recording sessions (and the one omitted from Crippled Lucifer
Crippled Lucifer
- 2008 reissue :...
), and the Asva / Burning Witch split contains the song "Rift. Canyon.Dreams".
A lot of terms have been used to describe Burning Witch's highly untraditional sound. Among these are "suicide doom", "transdimensional drone doom", "true blackened doom", and "molasses sludge". Stephen O'Malley has said these descriptions are "ridiculous", insisting Burning Witch is just slow and heavy doom with unique vocals. There is a natural progression in the sound of Burning Witch to the pair's later project Sunn O))), especially on Black One
Black One
Black One is the sixth album by Sunn O))). It is a combination of both experimental and traditional Sunn O))), utilizing many guest musicians, including black metal musicians Malefic and Wrest from Xasthur and Leviathan, respectively...
. Comparisons can also be made to O'Malley's later project Khanate
Khanate (band)
Khanate was a drone metal supergroup that brought together James Plotkin and Alan Dubin, two members of the defunct band OLD, as well as Tim Wyskida and Stephen O'Malley )) fame)....
.
Discography
- Towers...Towers...Towers... is the debut EP by the band Burning Witch. It was recorded by renowned indie producer Steve Albini. It was available as a part of the compilation album Crippled Lucifer which is now out of print, but has since been re-released as a 2 disc set Crippled Lucifer , through Southern Lord...
12" EP (Slap-a-Ham RecordsSlap-a-Ham RecordsSlap A Ham Records was a hardcore punk, thrash metal and grindcore label from San Francisco, California owned and operated by Chris Dodge of Spazz, Despise You, Lack Of Interest and several other bands.-Discography:Published albums include:...
1996) - Rift.Canyon.DreamsRift.Canyon.DreamsRift.Canyon.Dreams is the second EP by the U.S. doom metal band Burning Witch. It was originally released in 1998 on Merciless Records, to a limited distribution of 500 copies...
12" EP (Merciless Records 1997) - Crippled LuciferCrippled Lucifer- 2008 reissue :...
(Seven Psalms for Our Lord of Light) CD (Southern Lord RecordsSouthern Lord RecordsSouthern Lord is an American record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson, specializing in what could broadly be classified as experimental heavy metal, particularly the doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal sub-genres. Some of the more notable artists on the label include Earth, Om,...
1998) - Goatsnake/Burning WitchGoatsnake/Burning WitchGoatsnake/Burning Witch is a split EP by Goatsnake and Burning Witch. It was released on Hydra Head Records in 2000. Both bands contribute two tracks. The second Goatsnake track, "Burial at Sea", is a Saint Vitus cover....
split CD with GoatsnakeGoatsnake-Biography:Goatsnake was formed in 1996 after the disbanding of The Obsessed. After The Obsessed's disbanding, the rhythm section consisting of Guy Pinhas on bass and Greg Rogers on drums began jamming with guitarist Greg Anderson )))...
(Hydra Head RecordsHydra Head RecordsHydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
2000) - split 12" with Asva (Dos Fatales Records 2004).
- Crippled LuciferCrippled Lucifer- 2008 reissue :...
(Ten Psalms for Our Lord of Light) 2xCD (also a numbered edition of 2000 came with a "dropcard" which contained a downloadable only version of the band's unreleased 1996 demo and a live performance which was Greg Anderson's only known recording with the band) (Southern Lord RecordsSouthern Lord RecordsSouthern Lord is an American record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson, specializing in what could broadly be classified as experimental heavy metal, particularly the doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal sub-genres. Some of the more notable artists on the label include Earth, Om,...
2008)
External links
- Southern Lord Records biography of Burning Witch
- [ Burning Witch] on Allmusic
- Burning Witch on Encyclopedia Metallum