Review by Felix on August 9, 2026.

Frankly speaking, I had lost all hope concerning a comeback of Witchburner. I was sure that the dudes had indulged in Hochstift mania over a few beers for a bit too long. But lo and behold, the quintet hasn't drowned all brain cells in this regional brew. Instead, they return after 13 years without a new studio album. So now, 270 years after the last documented execution of a witch in Germany, they deliver ten new tracks and I lost no time to dive deeply into the material. Even the fact that the witch on the artwork appears to suffer from bad breath could not stop me. And, to avoid misunderstandings, the cover is pretty cool. It is somewhat primitive, but expressive, it avoids useless gimmicks and leaves not much room for interpretation. Thus, it stands shoulder to shoulder with the musical content of "Black Raging Flames".

Pressed into compact 35 minutes, the material puts the focus on high speed and density. Witchburner wave the flag of no frills thrash metal and their Teutonic origin shimmers through the songs at any time. They do not lack technical skills, but avoid arrogant boasting. Everything serves the songs and this is the right attitude. Moreover, the band has not forgotten the roots of German speed and thrash metal. To cover Vectom's "Too Fast For Hell" is a cool move, because the great debut of this well-hidden underground freaks never got the attention it deserved. It would have been even better if they had chosen "Black Viper", "Open the Coffin" or "Satan's Colours", nevertheless, the homage is well done. But, and here comes fantastic news, their own songs have even more power. To be more precise: they have much more power. Only the production does not do quite the material justice. The mix is by no means bad, but if I could change a detail, I would add an extra portion of vehemence. Anyway, as said before, the sound does not really affect the big picture in a negative manner. Even if it did: Witchburner's new songs cannot be stopped. They get stuck in your ear straight away and either you are deaf or you know in a matter of minutes that you are listening to a true thrash metal highlight of the year. This is fast, this is stormy, this is wonderfully unoriginal. Just full force ahead, high speed and screaming guitars. Forget all the musical delusions of so-called thrash musicians in the nineties and later on – the old school is the only school where you can learn how to thrash and Seegel and his comrades were very alert pupils.

With this in mind, it is clear that "Black Raging Flames" is firing on all cylinders. Nevertheless, I am really surprised about the absolutely explosive brilliance of the songs. There is no song that follows the nearly cosy (yet also great) mid-tempo approach of tracks like "Final Detonation". Without exception, their nine self-composed tracks scorch the earth and poison the air. Their skill to find the perfect equilibrium between maturity and spontaneity lends the songs splendour and glory. The tracks spit on detours and mazes – Witchburner are seeking an open-field battle. Perhaps they know that all their weapons work excellently. Equipped with massive leads and riffs, solos that have both partly melodic sections and stormy "Reign in Blood" facets, Pino's powerful vocals and a tough and precise rhythm section, nothing can go wrong. Not to mention the fact that many of their choruses add an unexpected catchy element. I am thinking of "Richtschwert", "Witchburner III", "By Moonlight We Strike" or "One Million Beers". That is no matter of course for a band which comes from a town whose most "famous" football team is called "SG Barockstadt Fulda-Lehnerz". Indeed, a very compact and catchy name. But I digress.

Yes, I always liked Witchburner and maybe I'm being a bit too enthusiastic about this unexpected return. But this does not mean that the band is sacrosanct to me. Their debut is definitely no masterpiece and I still wonder why "Demons" sounds relatively lacklustre. But the devastating power of this new high speed bomb is really amazing and the same goes for the thirst of guys. Once Tankard were looking "For a Thousand Beers", but Witchburner increased the stake a thousand-fold. What comes next? The beer deluge? I keep you informed. Until then, I will listen to "Black Raging Flames", maybe not a million times, but doubtlessly very often.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10