Swiss-founded traditional/power metal band BURNING WITCHES announced on Friday, October 23 that singer Laura Guldemond has left the group after seven years. Jennifer Gruber of FIREBORN will cover vocals at the band's remaining 2026 shows, while the search for a permanent frontwoman is already underway.
In their statement, the band said they had talked things through and tried hard to find a way forward together, but in the end had to respect Guldemond's decision. They thanked her for the shows, the albums and the memories, and stressed that every announced date will go ahead as planned. Auditions for a new permanent singer have begun.
Guldemond posted her own message, calling the past seven years "a phenomenal journey" and saying she is proud of the four records she made with the band. She described the split as amicable — "there are no hard feelings" — and said it was simply time for a change once the members' visions no longer fully aligned. She now plans to focus on her own music.
The Dutch singer, formerly of symphonic metal band SHADOWRISE, joined BURNING WITCHES in June 2019, replacing Seraina Telli, and made her live debut with them at Sweden Rock Festival that same month. Her run with the band covers four studio albums, most recently 2025's Inquisition on Napalm Records, produced by Damir Eskic and V.O. Pulver and built around the songwriting of founding guitarist Romana Kalkuhl.
The first show with Gruber on vocals is the Metal At Lust festival in Malta on November 7.