Doomed Confessionary: Count Hagslayer & The Grand Inquisitor (Drowning Witch)
Drowning Witch is a traditional doom metal trio hailing from Helsinki, Finland. Founded in 2023, Drowning Witch consists of The Grand Inquisitor (bass, vocals), Count Hagslayer (guitar), and The Shadow of Doom (drums).
Drowning Witch recorded their self-titled debut EP in late 2025, which was released on February 4th, 2026. »Drowning Witch« EP is available now on all major streaming platforms.
Fans of Reverend Bizarre, Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Count Raven, and true doom metal, pay heed!
Can you please say a few words about your band?
We’re just three dudes laying down heavy riffs! Initially, we set out to play old school death metal in 2022, right at the brink of a big resurgence of the genre in Finland. However, we realised that doom metal is the purest and most supreme form of metal – Black Sabbath being the ultimate heavy metal band and all – so we quickly started writing new material. This switch of genres had nothing to do with us not being able to play fast. We promise… That said, it wasn’t until 2025, when Drowning Witch reached its final form with the Shadow of Doom joining on drums, that we recorded our debut EP »Drowning Witch«.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Finding a drummer was definitely the hardest part in getting this band going. We (The Grand Inquisitor and Count Hagslayer) had been jamming and making demo tapes since 2022, but the triumvirate wasn’t complete until last year, when the Shadow of Doom stepped in on the drums. That really got us going and in a matter of months, we released the EP. Now we are looking forward to unleashing the full force of Drowning Witch upon the masses at shows in 2026!
What can you be most proud of so far?
Getting the EP out there! It felt almost like a relief to finally have the material out there. We had been sitting on 2 of the 3 songs for a while, so it was nice to let them out of their cage so to speak. We are really happy with how it turned out and that our listeners have enjoyed it and even reached out to us with great feedback.
What was your biggest regret?
Absolutely no regrets so far, apart from not asking Shadow of Doom to play drums in Drowning Witch earlier!
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
We recently held a small release show for the EP just for a couple of friends & family, and it was a wild and wonderful night!
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The surprisingly vast online doom metal community! We come from Finland so the scenes here are pretty small, yet quite strong still. It was assuring to see that doom really still is quite a widespread phenomenon still!
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
As always, REVEREND BIZARRE!! and other true doom bands, Anaal Nathrakh and old school US power metal recently!
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Don’t care about what other people say, do what you want! We kind of went into Drowning Witch with that mentality, as our main goal was to make the kind of music that we love.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Soft Swedish acoustic pop artist Thomas Stenström and Marty Robbins, and we don’t shy away from this!
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Helsinki?
We have a pretty prominent doom metal scene in Helsinki, which seems to have gained some activity in the recent years! Bands like Temple Of Salem and Bell Of Mimir have come out with great releases last year, so the scene feels like it’s in a good place!
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We are planning to play some shows in Finland this year! We had that one show we played that I mentioned but we can’t wait to play proper shows!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Play shows, make good tunes and develop a broader repertoire of music but still staying true to the traditions of doom metal. And most importantly drink beer!
How can people best support your band?
Listen to our music and share it with your friends. If you really like us, you can buy our music and merchandise on Bandcamp. Come to our shows once we start having ’em!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thank you for all the support! Hope to see you all at shows in the future!!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well