Witchunters started in Italy in the summer of 1982. Their early years were built on demos and constant shifts in sound. Hair metal at first, then a sharper thrash edge, then the more melodic, prog-leaning writing they explored in the ’90s. After a long stop, they picked things up again in 2009, and Time Is Running (2024) is the record that marks that return properly.
This interview also pulls an older thread back into view. Different Universe was recorded in 1997, then sat in the dark for years before finally coming out in 2025 as a remastered 2CD release, paired with a demos-and-rarities anthology. We spoke with Witchunters about what happened back then, what survived the years, and what they’re working on now.
Take me back to 1997. Where were Witchunters at that point – line-up, headspace, what you were listening to, what you thought the band could be.
Cesare Vaccari (Drums): In 1997, Witchunters were coming off the release of our first album, …and It’s Storming Outside, released in 1994 on Underground Symphony. Daniele Gozzi, bassist and singer, left the band in 1996 and was replaced by Fabrizio Vecchi, a creative and versatile musician. The rest of the lineup was the same as on the debut album. From that lineup, I’m the only one still in the band today.
From there, we started composing Different Universe, a very complex album, with clear influences from prog metal, a genre that was especially prolific in that decade. In May 1997, the band went into the studio to record the 11 songs that make up the album, with a running time of over 70 minutes.
“It was a shame not to make something of that rich material.”
Why did Different Universe stay unreleased for so long, and what changed recently that made “now” the right moment to put it out?
Cesare: Even though we tried to do everything as well as we could, some things in the studio didn’t go as planned. The collaboration with Federica De Boni, singer of White Skull, did happen, but a last-minute plan to bring in Eddy Antonini (Skylark) on keyboards fell through. With the help of Davide Guastaloca, an excellent keyboard player and a friend of ours, we managed to include keyboards on the album. The result would certainly have been different with Eddy’s arrangements.
At the time, we couldn’t find any label interested in releasing the CD. Our naivety and lack of experience probably pushed us in the wrong direction. It was a shame not to make something of that rich material, so with the renewed interest in the band sparked by Time Is Running, we decided – together with Maurizio Chiarello and Underground Symphony – to release Different Universe in 2025 on Heavy Metal Heroes, a division dedicated to unreleased productions and reissues of albums that have become hard to find.
The album was completely remastered at Art Distillery Studios by Claudio Mulas, where Witchunters recorded Time Is Running, and it was released in a double digipack together with More Than a Demos Anthology, which collects demos and rarities from 1985 to 1999 that had gone out of print.
“we realized it was possible to do an excellent remastering job, even though the master was 28 years old.”
When you listened back while prepping the remaster, what hit you first?
Cesare: What hit us right away was the complexity of the songs, and how relevant they still felt. And we realized it was possible to do an excellent remastering job, even though the master was 28 years old.
For someone who discovered you through Time Is Running, what context should they carry into Different Universe so they hear it the right way?
Cesare: The best way to listen to Different Universe is as an album in its own right, born in a period when metal was being influenced by many sub-genres. Also, apart from me, the people who composed, arranged, and played those songs were completely different from the people who play, compose, and arrange in Witchunters today. The fact that three songs on the album are part of a mini concept that we also put on video makes it even more special.
“Arranging and preparing some songs from the band’s older repertoire will be a challenge I can’t wait to tackle.”
Marcello joined on lead vocals in 2022. When you play older material now, what changes once his voice is involved?
Miguel Esteban Ramirez (guitars, backing vocals): Marcello arrived just as we were starting to record Time Is Running. To be honest, we haven’t worked on the older songs yet. For our live shows, we’ve focused on the new songs, and that’s it. When we go back to the old ones, we’ll see what happens with his voice.
Marcello Monti (lead vocals): Arranging and preparing some songs from the band’s older repertoire will be a challenge I can’t wait to tackle.
Time Is Running took shape over a few years. What kicked the writing off, and what kept you moving when it got slow?
Miguel: We’re not full-time musicians, so the schedule has inevitably stretched out. Everyone has their own lives and commitments. But every time we got together, the desire to do it was always the same.
Marcello: I joined when the songs were already almost fully formed, so the work I had to do was pretty seamless.
The title track came out as a single before the album. What did you want that first listen to tell people about this line-up?
Miguel: We wanted to make it clear right away that, despite the difficulties and limited funds, we’d be back soon. We take music lightly, without overthinking it, with a strong desire to play. No strategies: just true passion.
Marcello: We wanted to come across as a band that was still vital and creative.
“Forever Young” was the other early single. What does that song do for the record that another track wouldn’t?
Miguel: “Forever Young” is the reason we keep playing. The song celebrates rebellion, inner freedom, and youth as a state of mind.
Marcello: For me, it’s the song that symbolizes the Witchunters’ present and future.
Cesare: “Forever Young” is full of energy and works very well as a single. We were undecided about which song to release first. In the end, we chose to start our new journey with “Time Is Running,” because it felt like it better represented our current songwriting style. But “Forever Young” has all the credentials to be appreciated by metal fans. The video we made with Matteo Melotto (Visceral Studio) makes the song’s meaning even more immediate.
You’ve been active for decades, with a long pause and a restart. What parts of the old Witchunters mentality still help you, and what parts did you have to drop to make this album work?
Miguel: I don’t think we’ve dropped anything, which is why people keep saying we’re metalheads from the ’80s and ’90s.
Marcello: My time with Witchunters is still short, but I’m as committed to music as I was in my twenties, maybe even more.
Cesare: I’ve always thought the thing that sets Witchunters apart is that, before being a group of musicians, we’re friends who play together. We’ve had many lineup changes, and I still have a great relationship with all the former members. The human side is the most important thing, and I hope we never lose it.
“Africa has a growing underground metal scene. It would be great to see some of that energy travel beyond the continent.”
What places in Africa have shown up on your radar, even quietly?
Miguel: Africa has a growing underground metal scene. It would be great to see some of that energy travel beyond the continent.
Marcello: What has always fascinated me about Africa is the light and warmth it radiates. When I think about the challenges local bands face every day, the energy underground metal creates feels admirable.
Cesare: I’ve read, listened to, and seen on different platforms that there are interesting bands in Botswana, Togo, and North Africa. I hope to see some of these bands make it to Europe. For us, this collaboration with AFRICA.ROCKS could also help generate feedback and make good contacts on the African continent.
You’ve already started writing the next record. What’s the first rule you’re setting for yourselves this time while you’re still in the early stage?
Miguel: Yes, we’ve started, and the first and only rule is to have fun.
Marcello: The goal is to improve the songwriting even more and, of course, have fun.
Cesare: We’ve started working on new songs, trying not to limit ourselves with resources, while keeping the genre that suits us best as the foundation. For that reason, there might be some surprises in the compositions and arrangements, with keyboards, female vocals, or growls. As I was saying, we don’t set limits.
Time Is Running and Different Universe are both out now.
