Burning Witch

Lore & Background

Burning Witch formed on Capitol Hill, Seattle in early 1995, following the breakup of Thorr's Hammer. Stephen O'Malley, Greg Anderson, and Jamie Sykes initiated the band, later adding G. Stuart Dahlquist and vocalist Edgy 59. Anderson left before any original Burning Witch songs were recorded to start Goatsnake, though his only known recordings with the band appear on a demo and live performance included in the 2008 reissue of Crippled Lucifer. In 1996, the band recorded songs with producer Steve Albini, which became the Towers... EP, though it was not formally released until 1998 on Slap A Ham Records. After those sessions, Sykes left and was replaced by B.R.A.D. The subsequent recordings resulted in the Rift.Canyon.Dreams EP, the band's final recordings, as they broke up soon after its completion. It was released on Slap A Ham Records but received little attention outside its scene. Crippled Lucifer, a compilation 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 fall 1998, after which Edgy 59 left for Sinisstar, O'Malley reunited with Anderson to form Sunn O))), and Dahlquist joined Anderson in Goatsnake. O'Malley continues in projects including Sunn O))); Dahlquist and B.R.A.D are in Asva.

Reader's Guide

Burning Witch's significance lies in their role as a formative link between the doom/death of Thorr's Hammer and the later drone/doom of Sunn O))). Their music, described with terms like 'suicide doom' and 'transdimensional drone doom,' is characterized by extremely slow tempos, minimalist riffs, and emphasis on space between notes, with occasional bursts of feedback and noise. Edgy 59's vocals—alternating between nasal melodic singing and brutal screams—added a distinctive, unsettling quality. The two EPs show a progression: Towers... is more intense and aggressive, while Rift.Canyon.Dreams is more morose and brooding. The compilation Crippled Lucifer (later expanded to Ten Psalms for Our Lord of Light in 2008) collects most of their studio output. Their legacy is tied to the subsequent projects of its members, particularly Sunn O))), which continued and expanded the slow, heavy aesthetic. Comparisons are also drawn to O'Malley's later project Khanate. Despite limited commercial attention during their active years, Burning Witch is regarded as an influential act in the underground doom/sludge scene.

Did You Know?

• Burning Witch formed after the breakup of Thorr's Hammer in 1995.
• Their Towers... EP was recorded with producer Steve Albini in 1996 but not released until 1998.
• The 2008 reissue of Crippled Lucifer included a downloadable demo and live performance featuring Greg Anderson's only known recording with the band.