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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]
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.
Timeline