New Band of the Week: Virgin Witch

Essex deathcore/death metal newcomers Virgin Witch have brewed up a cauldron of vicious vocals, rampaging riffs and brutal breakdowns in a ferocious sound they describe as “energetic, extreme and dynamic.”

The band’s roots began when guitarist Kendal Beck and Keiran Newsam met at college in 2017, where they bonded over music and their dislike for their college course. They soon began discussing forming a band together, which originally started out as a joke but began becoming more of a reality, before bringing drummer Adam Beck and vocalist Caleb Jones on board.

Virgin Witch have quickly established a reputation for intense live shows as they set about destroying stages across southeastern England. And it’s easy to understand why, as this is arguably the heaviest British band we’ve spoken to in more than six years of running this website.

Descriving the Virgin Witch sound, the band tell us: “Our new material has a more Hardcore/Nu Metal feel to it along with the Deathcore sound that we’ve had since the beginning of the band.”

Our latest taste of this is Deny The Lie, which was released last month. It opens up with a slow chugging riff then a bloodcurdling scream drops into a filthy low-tuned riff. A plodding riff answered by high-pitched flurries supports intense screams then descends into absolute carnage as huge blast beat drums and wild guitars support terrifying vocals.

Vicious throaty vocals take over with a chugging riff, a piercing electronic sound and doomy cymbals, before the pace picks up again with intense driving drums, chugging guitars and a distant synth. That sets up a brutal conclusion, with Caleb’s savage vocals taking centre stage then a cool riff supported by doomy cymbals.

On the track, the band told us: “The reception so far was beyond what we expected, hearing many people not just in the UK but across the world listening to it and digging what we sound like is brilliant. It was a huge milestone when BBC Radio 1 played us on air on the Introducing Rock show, that was something we didn’t expect.”

That followed on from last year’s EP release Gloom, which the band tell us had more of an extreme death metal and deathcore approach. It effectively kicks off with the vicious Weakest Lamb, which dives straight into rapid-fire guitars and driving drums. Caleb’s intense vocals take over, concluding with some absolutely brutal throat-destroying screams. A funky little guitar lick comes in before a big doomy breakdown that continues into more intense screams.

We particularly enjoy the wild Butcher, which opens with a chugging riff that drops into wild dual vocals alongside Patty Kolasa. A cool riff takes over before launching into an absolute assault of intense drums before a darting riff supports intense vocals. Check it out in the lyric video here:

Gospel of Envy may be a personal favourite, with a slight Slipknot feel to the building intro, driving guitars and drums under Caleb’s huge scream, and delicious in-sync vocals and guitar section. It builds up to wild vocals supported by stabbing guitars, before huge rolling drums and a chugging riff give way to an almighty wall of terrifying vocals and atmospheric guitars.

The EP closes with Dissonance Delirium, which opens with cool stabbing guitars under Caleb’s vicious vocals. A cool descending riff kicks in under some wild screams then a more laboured riff as intense screams bring the track to a close. Check it out here:

Virgin Witch collectively draw influence from bands like Knocked Loose, Loathe and Slipknot. And when it comes to writing music, they told us: “All of us listen to music religiously and constantly pick up ideas from what we listen to, music is always being written and we don’t intend to stop anytime soon.

Most of the topics on the albums are concepts. We didn’t want to keep writing about personal topics and, instead, challenge ourselves to write small stories that maybe someone else can relate to.”

There’s plenty more to come from Virgin Witch, including a gig at The Joiners in Southampton on Friday (27 January, tickets here), playing the Deadsoul Winterfest in Ipswich on 3 February and a gig at Chinnerys in Southend on 18 March alongside our former New Band of the Week and their fellow Essex band Beyond Extinction (tickets for the latter are here). The band will also be heading into the studio to record their debut album in the Spring.

You can follow Virgin Witch on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.