Angel Witch bassist Kevin Riddles dead at 68
Kevin Riddles, one of the founding members and bassist of the heavy metal band Angel Witch, has died at the age of 68.
The news was posted on Angel Witch’s Facebook page, as guitarist and singer Kevin Heybourne wrote: “It is with immense sadness that I have to report that Kevin Riddles, our original bass player, passed away on Friday, 4th July 2025.”
He added: “Kevin was a great guy and we remained mates until the end, he will be greatly missed. Our condolences to his wife, Julie. Rest in peace, Kev.” Riddles had been suffering from cancer prior to his passing.
A second tribute was then posted on the Facebook page of Kev Riddles’ Baphomet, the covers band the bassist had formed in 2021 to perform Angel Witch classics. It said: “We are all utterly devastated. An absolute legend in the truest sense of the word, a larger-than-life character, an incredible and dedicated musician and a very fine and wonderful human being. Rest easy, big fella.”
Coming together in their initial form in 1976, before fully establishing two years later, Angel Witch were one of the most pioneering groups of the new wave of British heavy metal at the time.
Despite only experiencing limited chart and management success, Angel Witch were considered one of the most formative bands of the genre and era, whipping up a cult following which inspired many other facets of heavy metal, including thrash, speed, and extreme metal.
Following Angel Witch’s disbandment in the early 1980s, Riddles went on to form the fellow new wave-heavy metal band Tytan. Latterly, his covers band, Kev Riddles’ Baphomet, was inspired by the title of Angel Witch’s only successful mainstream single, which was released the same year as their debut album, in 1980.
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