Founded in 1975 WITCHFYNDE were the first outspoken Black Metal band. As early as 1979 they released their first 7" (fittingly titled "Give ´em Hell") and in early 1980 a full LP with the same title came out. After a tour with DEF LEPPARD (LOL) in Summer 1980 they quickly recorded and released "Stagefright", their second album which was alot softer and cost them alot of fans. That and the collapse of their first label led to a silence of 2 years where wild rumors about satanic circles were around. The WITCHFYNDE fanclub actually went as far as putting ads in papers and offering money for any trace leading them to the missing band members.

What had happened however was extensive work on their 3rd LP "Cloak And Dagger" as well as introducing their new vocalist Luther Beltz. "Cloak And Dagger" is one of the NWOBHM records that belongs in every damn collection. Sheer brilliance !! That was in 1983 and the year after saw the release of another great LP, "Lords of Sin". That one came with a bonus live 12" featuring 2 songs off "Give ´em Hell" and 2 off "Cloak And Dagger". That thing was a BITCH to find, I can tell you :-) Then, as everybody expected German dates of sorts they just faded away...

In 1999 a DEMON tribute CD came out through a German fanzine (Unbroken Metal) and it featured Luther Beltz as well as 2 new DEMON songs. With all the BM going around there was new interest in one of the first bands and thus there was much talk about a WITCHFYNDE reunion. For some reason that led to the odd result that now we have WITCHFYNDE and WYTCHFYNDE. The first featuring founding member Montalo with the drummer and bassplayer of the second LP and a new vocalist while the second is Luther with an all new lineup.

I recently aquired the first CD of WITCHFYNDE ("The Witching Hour") and though 6 out of 9 songs off it are from previous albums (rerecorded in the new lineup) it´s still a worthwhile buy. I´m definetly hoping for more !!!

Write up courtesy of Hartmuth aka BlackGoat (Metal Gospel)

Around the time of Halloween 1999, fuelled by a major worldwide resurgence of interest in the band as a result of numerous references on the Internet and in the music press, together with the release of a "Best Of" CD in 1996, the powers that be decided that the time was now right for Witchfynde, one of the legendary forerunners of the NWOBHM movement and cited by many as an influence on the contemporary heavy metal scene, to return from their self-imposed exile after the release of the "Lords of Sin" album in 1984, and break the silence.

The line-up of Montalo (guitar), Gra Scoresby (drums) and Pete "Thud" Surgey (bass), complete with new vocalist Harry Harrison, began writing songs and working on material for the band"s fifth album titled "The Witching Hour", which was recorded at the end of 2000.

"The Witching Hour" is the seriously spellbinding new album by the current line-up featuring re-recordings of classic Witchfynde songs combined with new material to aurally project you from the band"s early days right up to the present day.
"The Witching Hour" is scheduled for release in October 2001 through Edgy Records (Neat Records).

Witchfynde are also featured on the double compilation "Britannia Infernus: A History of British Occult/Black Metal" also scheduled for release on September 20th through Godreah Records.

The band are currently in rehearsals in preparation for some live shows to promote the new releases. As well as several impromptu "clandestine" gigs in the UK, festival appearances throughout Europe and America are being lined up.