Witchfinder General (band)

Witchfinder General
Background information
OriginStourbridge, England
GenresHeavy metal, doom metal
Years active1979–1984
2006–2008
LabelsHeavy Metal Records
Past membersPhil Cope
Johnny Fisher
Steve Kinsell
Zeeb Parkes
Kevin McCready
Graham Ditchfield
Rod Hawkes
Dermot Redmond
Gary Martin
Websitewitchfindergeneral.net

Witchfinder General was an English heavy metal and doom metal band from Stourbridge. They were part of the new wave of British heavy metal and have been cited as a major influence on the doom metal genre. They were named after the 1968 British horror film Witchfinder General, itself based upon the infamous witchhunter known as Matthew Hopkins.

The band's sound has been described as a "raw, post-Sabbath grind." AllMusic assessed that while Witchfinder General did not achieve the commercial or critical success of other bands from the new wave of British heavy metal, their influence on the emergence on doom metal could not be ignored.