BURNT WITCH RETURN TO THE ZACH MOONSHINE SHOW: NEW ALBUM, DELTA DOOM FEST, MASSIVE AMPS AND A WHOLE LOT OF SLUDGE!
Photo Credit: Rebekah Bennett's Photography
West Tennessee's Doom and Sludge Metal Outfit Talks About Their Upcoming Self-Titled Debut, Their Explosive Delta Doom Fest Experience, New Music, Future Plans, and Why Everything Is Better Louder.
West Tennessee's own BURNT WITCH returned to The Zach Moonshine Show on Metal Devastation Radio for a special Devil's Night conversation packed with heavy riffs, underground metal camaraderie, gear talk, and plenty of laughs.
With their brand-new self-titled single already unleashed and their debut full-length album scheduled to arrive November 23, 2026, the band has plenty happening. Following their recent appearance at Delta Doom Fest in Memphis, we caught up with the guys to talk about the new record, their rapidly growing momentum, the festival experience, and what's coming next.
And naturally, there was plenty of discussion about amplifiers loud enough to rearrange your internal organs.
A NEW ALBUM WITH A HEAVIER, ANGRIER EDGE
The upcoming self-titled album, Burnt Witch, represents another step forward for the band, pushing further into aggressive sludge territory while retaining the crushing doom foundation that defines their sound.
When discussing the direction of the record, the band described it as:
"This album is very much more on the sludge side of the sludge-hyphen-doom genre."
They also weren't shy about the increased aggression.
"A little angrier, too. We got a lot of angst and aggression, for sure."
The title track, which shares the band's name, is already available, while fans who preorder the album through Bandcamp can also download "Drug Lust" immediately.
There's another bonus for Bandcamp supporters, too. The album preorder includes the band's complete live set from Delta Doom Fest, professionally captured and mixed following the performance.
The band credited the excellent live recording setup at Growlers and the work of sound engineer Jay for making the recording possible.
According to the band, the tracks were practically ready to go as soon as they got everything into the mixing process.
And there's more music waiting in the wings. The guys revealed they've already been working on material for their second album, with three additional tracks fully recorded and mastered that didn't quite fit the direction of the upcoming release.
Apparently, they're not planning on slowing down anytime soon.
DELTA DOOM FEST: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
One of the biggest topics of conversation was Delta Doom Fest, the band's recent appearance at Growlers in Memphis.
The festival exceeded expectations, especially considering it was the first year of the event.
"We had no idea that many people were going to turn out and it was going to get the reception it did for a first-year fest."
The band was particularly impressed by the crowd response, including the appearance of a circle pit during one of the performances.
As the band pointed out during the conversation, you don't necessarily expect to see a circle pit at a doom show!
The guys also took time to recognize the people responsible for making the festival happen, including the organizers, volunteers, sound crew, and everyone who came out to support the underground metal community.
They specifically praised the organization and execution of the event, noting how smoothly everything ran despite the enormous amount of work involved.
As one band member explained:
"If you play in a band and have ever dealt with booking agents at various venues, you know how hard it is to set up anything."
The band also discussed the possibility of more events growing out of the success of Delta Doom Fest, with the overall experience helping demonstrate just how much potential there is for heavy underground music in the region.
LOUDER AMPS, BIGGER RIFFS, AND THE PURSUIT OF TONE
Of course, no conversation with a doom and sludge metal band would be complete without discussing equipment.
And Burnt Witch definitely has some opinions about volume.
During the interview, the guys talked about their rehearsal setup, where their amplifiers are cranked up to nearly the same volume they use onstage.
One particularly entertaining description involved the first time a band member experienced the group's full volume.
"It's like I suddenly became aware of my internal organs. It's hard to explain the vibrations."
That pretty much sums up the Burnt Witch live experience.
The conversation eventually turned toward amplifier choices, including Laney, Orange, Sunn, Sovtek, and the various pieces of gear responsible for producing those massive low-end tones.
The band also discussed the recent addition of a Laney amplifier and how it completely changed the way certain pedals and frequencies responded compared to their previous setup.
There's clearly no shortage of experimentation happening behind the scenes.
And apparently, there's an ongoing arms race between band members to see who can get the loudest.
As the guys joked, that's probably how every doom band eventually ends up with ten refrigerators onstage.
NEW SHOWS AND BIGGER PLANS FOR 2027
Burnt Witch isn't just focused on releasing the new album. The band is already looking ahead to a busy 2027.
They discussed booking opportunities, playing new states, and getting out in front of audiences they haven't reached yet.
Before that, however, they've got some upcoming dates to look forward to.
Their next announced performance is November 14 in St. Louis alongside Stonewielder, Granite Goliath, and Jadeed Entity at Utopia.
They also announced an appearance at Valley of Doom in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on April 10.
The guys are excited about continuing to build relationships with other bands from the Delta Doom Fest lineup and expanding their reach into new areas.
With new material already being developed and plenty of shows on the horizon, Burnt Witch appears to be just getting started.
MORE THAN JUST A BAND
One of the best parts of this conversation was hearing how much the band enjoys being part of the underground metal community.
From organizing events and supporting other bands to sharing equipment recommendations and helping promote the local scene, there's a genuine sense of camaraderie behind everything they're doing.
They also made a point of recognizing the people who helped make Delta Doom Fest possible, including Brutal Media for capturing footage of the event.
The band's approach is straightforward: keep writing, keep playing, keep supporting the scene, and have a damn good time doing it.
As the guys put it during the conversation, they're not doing this because they're getting paid.
They're doing it because they love playing music.
And that attitude is exactly what keeps the underground alive.
CHECK OUT BURNT WITCH!
NEW SINGLE: "BURNT WITCH" OUT NOW!
UPCOMING SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM: NOVEMBER 23, 2026
Preorders are available now through Bandcamp. Fans who preorder can download "Drug Lust" immediately and receive the exclusive Delta Doom Fest live set.
BANDCAMP:
https://burntwitch.bandcamp.com/album/burnt-witch />
Catch the complete conversation and hear it straight from the band below.
Keep supporting independent music, support the bands doing the work, and keep the underground alive!
Full Track List:
Battle Of The Bands Top Six Winners:
1 - Trivan - CROWNED WITH DREAD AND POWER
2 - Voidmaker - Of Digital Creation
3 - Soul Of Sheol - Paradise Is Not For Us
4 - AETHERFALL - PARALLAX
5 - Rhino Rawkstar - Warning Labels
6 - Mistress - Terrified eyes
The Zach Moonshine Intro
7 - Type O Negative - Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All) (Edit)
8 - Electric Wizard - Satanic Rites of Drugula
9 - ACID WITCH - I Hate Halloween
10 - Dread Witch - Altar
Burnt Witch - Interview featuring Burnt Witch/Druglust/Bastard
11 - Summoner's Circle - Pious
12 - GHOST PIPE - Spirit Speaks
13 - The Gates of Slumber - Death March/Full Moon Fever
14 - Grave Next Door - White Room
15 - St. Madness - Seek and Destroy/Sweet Leaf
16 - Conan - Foehammer
17 - Visions of Morpheus - Utopian Lies
18 - Chris Holmes - Let It Roar
19 - Brutal Death Fuck - Elizabeth/Alcohol
20 - Skullgrinder - Black #1 (Type O Negative cover)/Malevolent Pestilence
21 - Netherdred - Necrodancer
22 - Smoulder - Smouldering Remains
23 - Lode Star - Somewhere In Time
24 - False Messiah - Hold the Line – No Surrender Rework
25 - Marshall Beck & The Totally Tough Guys - War Pigs
26 - Fatal Burden - Feed the Swarm
27 - SAL - Die But DIY (feat. Barney Greenway)
28 - Parallel Minds - Bhopal
Full show streaming now on Mixcloud:
Super massive shout out and thanks to the 182,618 metal maniacs from around the world that tuned in Friday night to the devastation!
https://metaldevastationradio.com/thebeast/blog/29525/devils-night-special-burnt-witch-returns-%7C-the-zach-moonshine-show?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger
