ALBUM REVIEW - Burned As Witches – Burned As Witches
- Rick E
- 55 minutes ago
- 7 min read
WORDS RICK E
ALBUM REVIEW
BURNED AS WITCHES
BURNED AS WITHCHES
OUT 17th APRIL 2026
Sometimes the most powerful music emerges from the darkest places, and Rick McMurray's debut as Burned As Witches is living proof of that truth. The Ash drummer has stepped away from his kit to deliver a full-throttle solo album that channels grief, loss, and pure rock fury into eight tracks of bone-crushing heaviness that would make the gods of metal nod in approval.
This self-titled offering isn't what you'd expect from someone best known for powering one of Northern Ireland's most beloved rock bands for over two decades. McMurray explains in the press notes that the album began as a tribute to Ash's late agent Steve Strange, who passed in 2021. What started as dark riffs written in mourning has evolved into something monumental – a record that proves McMurray is far more than just a timekeeper, he's a genuine songwriter with serious chops across every instrument. The journey from those initial grief-stricken demos to this finished product wasn't straightforward either – McMurray admits the early recordings sat on his hard drive for months, abandoned as too painful to complete, before he found the perspective needed to see them through to completion.
The sonic palette here leans heavily into doom-laden stoner rock territory, with McMurray handling all guitars, bass, drums, and vocals himself. It's worth emphasizing what an achievement that is – plenty of multi-instrumentalists can bang out passable parts on various instruments, but McMurray plays everything here with the skill of a specialist. The guitar work alone would be impressive from a dedicated six-stringer; let alone someone whose primary instrument is drums. The production choices favour weight over polish, giving these songs room to breathe and crush in equal measure. This is music meant to be felt in your chest cavity, not just heard through speakers. Engineer decisions were clearly made with live room dynamics in mind, capturing a rawness that studio trickery would have smoothed away.
Right from the opener, McMurray establishes his intent with Scapegoats, a track that wastes absolutely no time getting down to business. The guitar tone is thick as treacle and just as dark, with a riff that locks into your brain and refuses to leave. There's a controlled aggression here that suggests someone who's done their homework on the classics – you can hear echoes of Sabbath's blueprints, but this isn't mere imitation. The drum patterns show McMurray's understanding of how to build and release tension, and his vocal delivery has a raw honesty that cuts through the distortion. This is a statement of purpose, and it delivers that message with authority.
The lead single Hold Your Nerve is where things really catch fire for me. McMurray describes it in the press materials as being about choosing between harsh reality and blissful ignorance – the red pill or the blue pill, if you will – and that philosophical weight comes through in the music itself. The track walks a fascinating line between groove and menace, with a guitar solo that feels earned rather than shoehorned in for the sake of it. There's swagger here, real swagger, the kind that comes from confidence rather than bravado. If I had to pick one track to show someone who'd never heard of this project, this would be it – it encapsulates everything Burned As Witches is about in one perfectly formed package.
With Pay The Ferry, we get our first glimpse of McMurray's lyrical depth. The mythological reference to Charon isn't lost on anyone paying attention, and given the album's origins, it carries extra weight. Musically, this track introduces more dynamic range than the opening pair, with verses that pull back just enough to make the choruses hit that much harder. The bass work deserves special mention here – it's not just following the guitar; it's carving out its own melodic space in the mix. McMurray clearly understands that heaviness isn't just about volume and distortion; it's about space, about knowing when to hold back so the impact lands properly.
Truth Comes Crawling feels like the moment the album shifts into its darkest gear. The riff here is absolutely filthy in the best possible way, slithering through the speakers with malicious intent. McMurray's vocal performance takes on an edge that wasn't present on earlier tracks – there's genuine anger bubbling just beneath the surface, controlled but palpable. The arrangement is deceptively clever, with a breakdown section that strips everything back to basics before building into one of the album's most satisfying payoffs. This is the kind of song that makes you want to turn everything up just a little bit louder.
The album's centre point, It Comes Before The Fall, showcases McMurray's ambitions beyond straightforward heavy rock. There are progressive elements creeping into the structure here, with the song moving through distinct movements rather than adhering to traditional verse-chorus patterns. The guitar work shifts between moods and textures, painting a sonic picture that feels deliberately cinematic. What strikes me most about this track is how it manages to be both crushingly heavy and genuinely melodic – that's a difficult balance to strike, and McMurray nails it. The more time you spend with this one, the more layers reveal themselves.
If I'm being completely honest, Right In Front Of You might just be my favourite moment on the entire record. Everything that makes Burned As Witches special comes together here in perfect harmony. The riff is an absolute monster – the kind of thing that'll be rattling around in your head days after listening. There's an urgency to McMurray's performance that suggests this song means something deeply personal, and that emotional investment translates directly to the listener. The solo section is particularly striking, with notes that feel chosen for maximum emotional impact rather than technical showboating. This is the sound of someone with something vital to communicate, and the conviction comes through in every note.
A Spartan Mass slows the tempo down and lets the doom influences come to the forefront. This is lumbering, deliberate, and absolutely punishing in its delivery. The title itself carries multiple interpretations – are we talking about Greek warriors or stripped-down religious ceremony? Perhaps both, perhaps neither, but the atmosphere McMurray creates here is undeniably powerful. His vocal performance takes on a weathered quality that adds years to his voice, and it works beautifully in context. This track demands patience from the listener, but it rewards that patience with a genuinely immersive experience. Put this one on late at night with the lights down low and let it wash over you.
The album closes with To The Sky, and it's the perfect bookend to this journey. After all the darkness, all the processing of grief and anger, this final statement feels like a release – not in the sense of happy resolution, but in the sense of catharsis achieved. McMurray hasn't solved anything, hasn't found all the answers, but he's worked through something important, and that process is writ large across these final minutes. The song builds with purpose, layering guitars upon guitars until the sound becomes almost overwhelming, before pulling back for a conclusion that feels hard-won rather than handed over easily. When that final note rings out, there's a genuine sense of completion, of a story told from start to finish.
Burned As Witches stands as a testament to Rick McMurray's talents beyond the drum kit. This isn't a vanity project or a lockdown experiment – this is a proper album with something meaningful to say, executed with skill and conviction. The fact that McMurray handles every instrument himself could have been a gimmick, but instead it becomes a strength, giving the album a unified vision that might have been diluted with multiple players pulling in different directions. There's a consistency of tone and approach across these eight tracks that speaks to a singular creative voice, someone who knew exactly what they wanted to achieve and had the technical ability to make it happen.
The album wears its influences proudly without ever feeling derivative. Yes, you can hear the echoes of Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and countless other heavy rock titans threading through these grooves, but McMurray filters these influences through his own sensibility to create something that sounds distinctly his own. It's the difference between homage and imitation – McMurray understands what made those classic bands great and applies those principles rather than simply copying their surface characteristics.
I've found myself returning to this album repeatedly since first hearing it, and that's the ultimate test of any record's quality. These songs have staying power. They reveal new details with each listen, and they've earned their place in my regular rotation. McMurray has proven he's got plenty to offer beyond his work with Ash, and I genuinely hope this isn't a one-off project. There's clearly more to explore in this sonic territory, and I'd be fascinated to hear where he takes the Burned As Witches concept next. Will he expand the lineup for live performances? Will future recordings maintain the solo approach? Either way, this debut has established a strong foundation to build upon.
Rick McMurray has delivered something genuinely impressive here – a debut album that honours the past while carving out its own identity, that processes personal loss without wallowing in misery, and that proves heavy music can still be vital and relevant in 2026.
Burned As Witches is the sound of an artist fully committed to his vision, uncompromising in execution, and confident enough to follow his instincts wherever they lead. It's an absolute triumph, and it stands proudly alongside the best heavy rock releases of recent years.
3.5/5
BURNED AS WITCHES– FULL TRACK LIST
Scapegoats
Hold Your Nerve
Pay The Ferry
Truth Comes Crawling
It Comes Before The Fall
Right In Front Of You
A Spartan Mass
To The Sky
FOLLOW BURNED AS WITCHES
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