Angel Witch bassist Kevin Riddle dead at 68 after cancer battle

Kevin Riddles, the bassist known for his work in several influential heavy metal groups, has died at 68.

Riddles was best known as the founding bassist for the British heavy metal band Angel Witch.

The musician had been battling cancer prior to his death. 

Kevin Heybourne, the last remaining founding member of Angel Witch, announced Riddle’s death in a somber Instagram media post on Monday. 

‘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 wrote. ‘Kevin was a great guy and we remained mates until the end, he will be greatly missed.’

‘Our condolences to his wife Julie,’ Heybourne continued, adding, ‘Rest in peace Kev.’

Kevin Riddles, the bassist known for his work in several influential heavy metal groups, has died at 68. Riddles was best known as the founding bassist for the British heavy metal band Angel Witch

Riddles, who battled cancer prior to his death, contributed to Angel Witch’s first album before leaving the group in 1982; a later incarnation of Angel Witch is pictured in 2009 in the UK

Riddles later band Baphomet also announced his death on its Facebook page. 

‘Kevin “Kev” Riddles passed away peacefully in hospital in the early hours of Friday morning 4th July 2025,’ it wrote. ‘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,’ the announcement added.

Riddles was a key member of the original Angel Witch lineup, which formed in 1976 in London.

The band is now considered one of the major acts in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) that began to take shape in the mid-1970s and achieved international success by the start of the next decade.

Unlike later, more extreme forms of metal music, Angel Witch and other NWOBHM bands had a greater focus on hooks and melody, but they upped the intensity of earlier hard rock music while adding in some of the speed and aggression of early punk rock.

Riddles was a key contributor to Angel Witch’s self-titled debut LP, which was released in 1980, but he left the band in 1982 to form his next band, Tytan. Angel Witch has continue to exist in a variety of shifting lineups on and off throughout the years.

That group — which also featured Angel Witch drummer Dave Dufort — was also a key figure in the NWOBHM movement, as it formed just as similar bands were at the peak of their popularity and commercial success.

Kevin Heybourne, the last remaining founding member of Angel Witch, announced Riddles’ death on Instagram. The bassist later founded the New Wave of British Heavy Metal band Tytan, and in 2021 he founded Baphomet to play Angel Witch tunes from his stint in the band

However, the group was only in existence for about two years and released just one album, which came out after its breakup. 

Riddles returned to Tytan in 2012 for a reunion that saw the group finally released a second full-length album.

The reunion became a rebirth for the heavy metal act, and Tytan continued touring nearly until his death.

Coinciding with Tytan’s rebirth was Riddles’ nostalgia project Baphomet, a band he founded in 2021. 

Baphomet was focused on performing the music Riddles played with angel Witch from the mid-’70s to his 1982 departure.