Witchfinder General is a pivotal figure in the transition from early heavy metal to the specific subgenre of traditional doom metal. Formed in Stourbridge in 1979, they were technically part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), but their sound was significantly slower and more Sabbath-influenced than peers like Iron Maiden or Saxon.
Led by guitarist Phil Cope and vocalist Zeeb Parkes, the band's identity was built on a 'raw, post-Sabbath grind' that emphasized mid-to-slow tempos and occult-themed imagery, often drawing from 1960s British horror cinema. Despite limited commercial success and a brief initial run, their two studio albums, Death Penalty (1982) and Friends of Hell (1983), became cult classics. Their influence is massive within the doom metal community, directly impacting the development of bands like Saint Vitus, Cathedral, and Electric Wizard. Critically, they are viewed as the architects of a specific 'English' doom sound: gritty, unpretentious, and deeply rooted in the working-class gloom of the Midlands.
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