"We are not a barbie band!" A Conversation with Romana Kalkuhl of Burning Witches.

Recently, I had the opportunity to connect with founding member/rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Romana Kalkuhl. We went deep on the writing and recording process of their newest record "Inquistion" and what fans of band can expect in the back half of 2025.

ThisDayInMetal:Inquisition marks your sixth studio album. How does this release reflect where the band stands creatively and musically in 2025?

Romana Kalkuhl: Just great! we love every moment that we procedure in artistic and private situation! and about creativity, we have so many themes, that we are ready to create even next 2-3 albums…

TDIM:Compared to your previous album The Dark Tower, what new directions—musical, lyrical, or conceptual—did you explore with Inquisition?

RK: Its not easy to compare because the INQUISITION is to fresh, and i need time to have better view. but we are close to the dark thematic to our previous album. so you can see how we love to do this themes with occult stuff and also trueness from the past.

TDIM:The record has been described as your most focused and ferocious work to date. What elements do you feel contribute most to that intensity?

RK:First of all, some riffs that are just more dark and heavy, as for example the song shame. the next is of course the general themes that we have lyrical in different songs.

TDIM:The album explores themes of medieval persecution, religious oppression, and resistance. What drew the band to those subjects, and how do they resonate within the music?

RK: Yess, that endless religious theme…it fits to our band, and also to us, and we just love to work with this middle ages themes. this is a part of us, and a part of our past. we also have this witch museum in switzerland, and the boss (WICCA) of this museum she is amazing and she also helped us always with different themes around this witch theme…

TDIM: Is there a narrative or conceptual thread running throughout Inquisition, or do the tracks function more as standalone expressions around a central theme?

RK: The songs riffs stand alone but of course we tried to get a line between the songs. lets see in around one year if it worked… its to early to say, ahh ist like this or this.. i need time and distance to see more the whole picture…for example, i just see now how exakt and good we wrote the witch of the north… this is an amazing album and i love it totally.. but in the beginning of it i didnt really know how the album is…

TDIM: The contrast between darkness and empowerment seems central to the album. How did you approach balancing those elements in the writing and recording process?

RK: Darkness is a part of our lyrical culture. we are not a barbie band. we live slayer and maiden and priest! so for me its easy to keep this in the darkness way, and this will also stay for a while as our main theme!

TDIM: The opening track, “Sanguini Hominum,” uses Latin chants and atmospheric melodies to set the tone. What role does this track play in establishing the album’s identity?

RK: This is a dark voice from the past. in the middle ages, the most books were written in latin. also was this the language that get used in the churches. so this is the mood that we have before the enter the album!

TDIM: “Soul Eater” introduces a more aggressive, thrash-oriented sound. What inspired this sonic shift, and how does it fit within the overall context of the album?

RK: Soul Eater is how burning witches feel today! this is the opener and we love the intensity of the song.

TDIM: “High Priestess of the Night” stands out with its heavy rock swagger and melodic soloing. How did that track evolve, and what does it represent thematically?

RK: This song is one of the first little bit more fantasy songs. and after we wrote the album i just feel that we miss that one groovy song that will put the inquisition album in also a different light. so it wasn't planed but its one of the best songs of the album…!

TDIM: With “Release Me,” the band ventures into more melodic and atmospheric territory. What led to the inclusion of a ballad on an otherwise intense record

RK:We always have a balad in our records. a good record needs a good balad. this one is just perfect, and i love it!!

TDIM:The closing track, “Malus Maga,” feels expansive and conclusive. Why was this song chosen to end the album, and what message does it leave listeners with?

RK: This is how the people treated a witch in the middle ages. but a witch was maybe just a young girl that was in wrong time on a wrong place…just horrible. so malus maga is the darkness of mankind that blame, blame you and youre in a wrong place, but you cant do anything. youre just captured in a bad time…

TDIM: Inquisition was produced by Damir Eskic and V.O. Pulver. How did their production approach help shape the sound and dynamics of the album?

RK: This guys work from the first album with us. from the first DEMO!!! we are a family, we record, we discuss, we fight, this is a backbone of burning witches, and i hope we will record many many more records with them!

TDIM: What did the songwriting and pre-production process look like for this album, and did it differ significantly from previous records?

RK: No it always similar. i create the riff and check it with lala and see how it sound. intensity, power and and..: and than we check the melodies. sometimes i just have a melody line for the vocals. this time also courtney send riffs, so we check and use them!! this was amazing to work on inquisition.

TDIM: How important was collaboration during the creative process, both within the band and with the production team?

RK: Damir is always talking and checking the riffing with me. but at the studio when we start recording the songs, we also sometimes change little bit the riffs and look that we have a good balance. so the guys are really important from this moment when we start to record.

TDIM: While rooted in classic heavy and power metal, Inquisition introduces darker tones and more modern aggression. Was that a conscious stylistic evolution?

RK: Its just the theme that we feel and try to put on the record. i didnt create this just as a plan. im also a musician, and i also chalenge also with moves to dark or less dark.. this is the way. and i just do it and dont think about modernitiy…

TDIM: Were there any specific influences—musical, historical, or literary—that informed the creative direction of this album?

RK: No its just us. of course we are fans of classic metal or thrash bands, but we just move on and try to do good music.

TDIM: The record moves between aggressive riff-driven tracks and more atmospheric compositions. How does dynamic contrast factor into your songwriting philosophy?

RK: This time i tried to get more atmosphere in general. so im glad if you can hear this. this is a compliment for me as a musician.

TDIM: Reflecting on your discography as a whole, how do you view Inquisition in terms of the band’s long-term evolution?

RK: I think inquisition will stand as an good and really dynamic album, so it fits totally in our discography. but let me answer this question in around one year. i need time to set down everything here… the album is too fresh to catch a decision. but i think its an amazing album…

TDIM: What do you hope listeners take away from Inquisition, both sonically and thematically?

RK: Just everything. our lyrical and also our musical power!! we have everything there! from a ballad to the heaviest sing that we ever wrote… so its a nice and cool heavy metal roller coaster…

TDIM: With the album’s release approaching, what are the band’s plans for touring, promotion, or future projects?

RK: 2026 we are planning a world tour! europe and usa are already online, asia we are working right now on this!!!

"Inquisition" track listing:

01. Sanguini Hominum
02. Soul Eater
03. Shame
04. The Spell Of The Skull
05. Inquisition
06. High Priestess Of The Night
07. Burn In Hell
08. Release Me
09. In For The Kill
10. In The Eye Of The Storm
11. Mirror, Mirror
12. Malus Maga