Dance With The Devil is an absurdly exciting and wickedly nails-hard heavy metal record, full of dazzling musicianship, giant tunes and an overall sense that Swiss quintet Burning Witches are giving the none-more-classic a significant sonic upgrade.
New vocalist Laura Guldemond asserts herself from the off, imbuing explosive opener Lucid Nightmare with a presence and punch that their previous records occasionally lacked.
These are easily the best songs the band have written. A glowering undercurrent of classic German thrash drives fiercer moments like Wings Of Steel and Six Feet Underground, while the sheer euphoric wallop of the title track and the Accept-like stately bludgeon of Necronomicon prove that Burning Witches kick large amounts of arse at any tempo.
Even the obligatory ballad, Black Magic, is an absolute belter, while a suitably thunderous cover of Manowar’s Battle Hymn provides an epic conclusion. Right now, there aren’t many better pure metal bands than Burning Witches.
