By Martin Popoff

NWOBHM doom pioneers WITCHFINDER GENERAL are halfway through Resurrected, their third studio album, follow-up to doom classic Friends Of Hell from 1983 and Death Penalty from 1982.

Mystery vocalist Zeeb Parkes is not in the lineup, however founding member Phil Cope (guitars) is on board, as well as the band’s last drummer from ’83, ’84, Dermont “Derm The Germ” Redmond and last bassist, Rod Hawkes, with the band from ’82 to ’84. On vocals is Gary “Gaz” Martin, who has over 25 years experience as a front man.

“I didn't really want to ever go on the road again,” explains Cope, “but I just wanted to give people who stood by the band something to remember us by. So I got twisted into it, just another album, and that's it, and then we'll die gently, naturally, I should say. We've put four tracks down, and we're just waiting for the vocals now. He's just picking up the melody and the lyrics. And it should be recorded in the next two weeks. So that's the four numbers we've got down, and they’re nearly complete. And then we'll move on to the next four, and that will make up the album. But I'll never go on the road again. Too old.”

Along with divulging the album title, Phil offered two song titles: ‘The Living Hell’ and ‘The Gift Of Life’.

Is there a label deal? “Not at the moment. Once it's all recorded, I'll look at offers. But it will possibly be with Russ Vrankovich, because if it hadn't been for Russ, none of this would've been happening for us later.”

Vrankovich commandeered the assembly of a Witchfinder General live album called Live ’83, out last year – see the band’s official website, www.witchfindergeneral.net for details, although the area in the discography section on it suggests people try eBay.

Says Phil in closing, “Looking back on it, I just wished we would have met Derm a lot earlier. Because Derm was just a different dimension in the band, a very powerful drummer, and it's a pity we didn't have him. But he sounds good on this new material we’re doing; he sounds excellent. This whole thing… I preferred to leave it in the past because it was a long time ago. I didn't want to stir it up, but it happened, and I've met quite a few people, and it's been brilliant, it really has. Everyone has been great with us, and just pushing us to do more, you know what I mean? That's why I’m doing this album. I'm a bit too old now to be thinking about going on the road. We've all moved on in life. I mean, I've got a half decent job, so has Derm, so has Rod. So we can't really let the band come in between us. We're doing this album, we’re giving it 150%, so is Derm, so is Rod. But it stops there. Hopefully it will be out towards the end of this year, by the time we cut the next four numbers. But I guarantee you it will rock. It's not going to be exactly like Witchfinder, because obviously we've changed the front man. But people have been saying to me over the years, they love the riffs, and there are plenty of riffs. No doubt about it - and I guarantee you it will rock.”