The Burning Witches and Hammer King gig at The Dome in London on January 23, 2026 coincides with the halfway mark of Burning Witches’ European tour in support of their Inquisition album.
Having followed the band for quite a while, I’ve been wanting to see if Burning Witches actually deliver the goods in live scenarios. German band Hammer King are the only support. Before tonight I heard a few tracks from one of their early albums and I liked what I heard. So bring them on…
Hammer King
Hammer King’s brand of metal is replete with metal clichés and imagery but in a very tongue-in-cheek sort of way. As the first numbers were delivered I found myself comparing them with bands such as Powerwolf and Gloryhammer. The band played in a 5-piece formation but still used samples for intros and orchestral parts. I’d have preferred if everything was played live.
The band members infected the audience with their sense of fun and got a rapturous response. I couldn’t help grinning when the singer pointed a GoPro on a stick at the audience and asked them to look into the ‘eye of observation.’
Notable inclusions in their setlist were “Kingdom of Hammers and Kings,” “Hammerschlacht” and a cover of Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone.” Other than that, the set also featured hammers, chandeliers, chalices and a few shady characters who occasionally joined the band on stage. The music might not have been jaw-dropping, but it certainly was entertaining.
Burning Witches
All-female Swiss band Burning Witches delivered a dynamic and tight performance which, I’m happy to report, exceeded my expectations. Individually all members shone too – the guitars shredded and lead singer Laura Guldemond’s powerful voice didn’t wane despite her energetic demeanor.
From their music style and stage presence, the band clearly had its roots somewhere between the NWOBHM and thrash. But even when the tempo slowed down for certain songs, they never sounded sluggish. In the second part of their set, Burning Witches focused on revisiting their back catalogue with songs such as “Burning Witches,” “Hexenhammer” and “Black Widow,” much to the delight of the prevalently middle-aged crowd.
This was an archetypal heavy metal performance in all its glory.
