And then there were three. On June 27, 2025 KING WITCH drop their latest album, aptly named III, via Listenable Records. Why III? Well, it’s their third full-length album. Okay, so they also have two EPs, but bear with me and let’s just stick with the three LPs for this count. So, third full-length album. Got it. Jives well with III. Cool. Also, with drummer Lyle Brown absent from this album and session drummer, Andrew Scott, covering on the kit, they’re effectively down to a trio. See how that works? So III it is.  

For those new to KING WITCH, they’re a female-fronted Doom-laden Heavy Metal band out of Edinburgh, Scotland. Formed in 2015, they’ve been bastions of NWOTHM for eight years running. They’re also shamefully underrated . . . Okay, I should clarify. The people who know of them invariably love them. The problem is not enough people know of them. So, now’s your chance.

Despite the recent lineup disruption, III is one of the band’s best . . . which is saying a lot given their track record. Leading the charge, of course, is Laura Donnelly delivering at the top of her game. Jamie Gilchrist serves up his usual fare of massive riffs backed by Rory Lee on bass and as previously noted, Andrew Scott on drums. III weighs in heavy with eight tracks, nine if you score the CD which includes a cover of SOUNDGARDEN’s “Jesus Christ Pose.”

The album starts off with two formidable tracks, “Suffer in Life” and “Deal with the Devil,” which are both solid in their own rights. It’s with track three, “Swarming Flies,” that things start to get interesting. “Swarming Flies,” which is about mental health issues, is one part disturbing and one part soothing and indeed the band notes that “although the lyrics are about a pretty dark subject, the song itself shifts mood halfway through. Going from dark to light, uplifting and giving a real sense of freedom in the same way my thoughts can suddenly lift and shift to a more positive mindset.” It’s not surprising the band led with this track as their first video for the album.

Another track that caught my attention, as in I had to hit replay about seven times before I could put my headset down, is “Behind the Veil.” This is a six-minute track which stays on the mellow side for the first four. Think of it as investing in ambiance. The last two minutes, though. I mean shit, the last two minutes are perfect and those first four minutes effectively serve as the scene set. Positively love this track.

Sticking to three’s, I'll call out just one more track though I do attest to the fact that this entire album is most excellent. “Digging in the Dirt” is mean and funky track with locomotive riffs and mean lyrics and a fuckton of grit.

The album concludes with a couple of slower and bluesier tracks. No foul. It’s hard to trudge through Doom without getting some Blues on your boots. I should also say that “Last Great Wilderness” (final track) does end on particularly heavy romp.  

Have to say, I have been craving some KING WITCH. We had that teaser back in 2021 with the Worship the Riff covers EP and, of course, the killer rendition of DEEP PURPLE’s “Burn” performed with SOLAR SONS in 2023 (search YouTube for this gem). III is another impeccable offering from some unsung heroes of the Doom and Heavy Metal scene.