Metal Band’s Founding Member Dies: ‘Utterly Devastated’
UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 7 – Kevin Riddles, a key figure in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, died at 68 after battling cancer and recently completed bass parts for a third Tytan album.
- Kevin Riddles, founding bassist of Angel Witch, Tytan and Baphomet, died on July 4, 2025, after a battle with cancer.
- Kevin Riddles died on July 4, 2025, after being diagnosed with cancer, which led to canceled shows and impacted his career activities.
- Kevin Riddles helped launch NWOBHM at a 1979 London gig, influencing Metallica's Lars Ulrich and inspiring bands like Venom and Slayer.
- Following his death on July 4, 2025, tributes poured in from bandmates and fans, with Baphomet calling Riddles “an absolute legend in the truest sense.”
- More broadly, Angel Witch, a major NWOBHM band since the 1970s, influenced artists like Metallica and contributed to the iconic Metal For Muthas compilation.
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14 Articles
Kevin Riddles, Legendary Angel Witch Bassist, Dead at 68
Bassist Kevin “Skids” Riddles — who was a founding member of British heavy metal band Angel Witch — has died. He was 68 years old. According to Blabbermouth, Riddles passed away on Friday, July 4, following a battle with cancer. The news was first shared by Kevin Heybourne, who is now the sole remaining founding member of Angel Witch. “It is with immense sadness that I have to report that Kevin Riddles, our original bass player, passed away on F…
Kevin Riddles, bassist and co-founder of the British band Angel Witch, which was at the birth of the new wave of British heavy metal, died of cancer on Friday at the age of 68. In later years, he was a musician in the bands Tytan and Baphomet.
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