Burning Witches Inquisition Review

Burning Witches

Inquisition

Napalm Records

2025

Few things get me more excited than symphonic power metal colliding with speed and thrash. In wrestling or carnie speak, you could say I’m a total “mark” for this style. That’s accurate. And lucky me, such a release has just landed in my lap (and ears): Burning Witches’ latest, Inquisition.

For some quick background: Burning Witches formed in Switzerland in 2015, and Inquisition marks their sixth full-length release. What sets them apart in their genre-blending approach is their all-female lineup. Now, this is thankfully more common (and accepted) today than in decades past, but I hesitate to emphasize it too much, because at the end of the day, their gender is irrelevant to the fact that they’re simply a killer band. Still, it’s worth noting how rare it is in this corner of heavy metal.

Inquisition spans twelve tracks, produced by Damir Eskic (Destruction) and V.O. Pulver (Little Creek Studio, Pro-Pain, Destruction). The record is packed with blistering riffs, thunderous drums, soaring vocals, and choruses that will haunt your brain. Every instrument has space to shine, all mixed clean and punchy.

Opener “Sanguini Hominum” sets the stage with booming drums, ominous Latin chants, and eerie guitar work, leading perfectly into “Soul Eater,” which charges straight into thrash territory with rapid-fire drums and razor-sharp screams - like the Reaper swinging his scythe. The title track, “Inquisition,” is pure power metal fury: all energy, zero filler. Laura Guldemond’s vocals deserve special mention, her ability to weave between soaring highs and grounded lows adds mood and grit to the album’s pulse.

The single “High Priestess of the Night” struts in with swagger, boasting an ’80s-inspired guitar solo that absolutely rips. My personal favorite, though, comes earlier: “The Spell of the Skull.” This mid-paced stomper is catchy as hell, with Romana Kalkuhl and Courtney Cox (formerly of The Iron Maidens) trading riffs and harmonies while the chorus soars. Elsewhere, “In for the Kill” delivers chugging speed/thrash, “Eye of the Storm” channels Dio-esque grandeur, “Mirror, Mirror” rides double bass into harmonized shred territory, and closer “Malus Maga” bookends the eerie opener with a chilling outro.

At 45:21, the album flies by, and I immediately hit replay.



With Inquisition, Burning Witches have unleashed a darker, meaner, and more laser-focused beast. I’d go so far as to say this is their strongest album yet. It’s classic heavy metal that walks the line between the sacred and the profane - melodic, menacing, and tough as nails. Get it now.

RIYL: Helloween, Dio, Hammerfall, Iced Earth

~TB