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Burning Witches last album, 2018's Hexenhammer, was a pretty good effort, an improvement over their first album, and now we have Dance with the Devil which continues the upward trend for this Swiss band. As with the last album, this one is front-loaded with a lot of the best songs. "Lucid Nightmare" is a superb ass-kicking anthem to open the album, the title track is accessible, brushing right up against commercial but still catchy as hell and "Black Magic" a bit of a twist being a ballad but with a deceptive title. There is a bit of dip in quality in the middle third of Dance with the Devil but then you get the slow burning "Necronomicon" to put the album back on track. The cover of Manowar's "Battle Hymn", featuring Ross the Boss on guitar and bassist Mike Lepond, is a solid effort but exposes the singer's English a bit.

Dance with the Devil doesn't break any rules because that isn't the point. Burning Witches just wants to kick ass with some '80s-style heavy/power metal and the album does the job from start to finish. This one should be right up your alley if you're into King Diamond, '80s Priest, Metal Church, etc.