UMUR "Witchcult Today" is the 6th full-length studio album by UK stoner/doom metal act Electric Wizard. The album was released through Rise Above Records in November 2007. The lineup who recorded "We Live (2004)" is intact. Jus Oborn (guitars, vocals), Liz Buckingham (guitars), Rob Al-Issa (bass), and Shaun Rutter (drums).

Stylistically there are few surprises if you´re already familiar with Electric Wizard, as "Witchcult Today" pretty much continues the dark occult and psychadelic tinged doom/stoner metal style of the last couple of releases. "Witchcult Today" features a murky and raw sounding production, which sets it slightly apart from the releases which bookend it, but musically it´s in a similar vein. Electric Wizard have always made it a mission to sound as raw and organic as possible, but with this sound production that approach reaches new heights.

The material on the 8 track, 58:52 minutes long album are well written and quite memorable given a few spins. The music is heavy, groove laden, and the atmosphere is dark with a touch of restrained aggression. The lyrics are occult themed, which song titles like "Satanic Rites of Drugula" and "Black Magic Rituals & Perversions" are a testament to. The almost ritualistic repetition of riffs and rhythms, can at times drag on for too long, but Electric Wizard are generally pretty good at restraining themselves and keeping their psychadelic jam sessions to an acceptable length.

The musicianship is as always strong. Electric Wizard are a tight playing unit, and Oborn´s desperate shouting vocals suit the music perfectly. Upon conclusion "Witchcult Today" is yet another high quality release by Electric Wizard. The sound production may be an issue to some listeners, but if a murky organic production ever suited anyone, it´s Electric Wizard. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

Warthur The second incarnation of Electric Wizard really gets under steam on this fantastic little doom metal album. Once again, weed-addled ramblings about classic horror movies and pulp fiction are the order of the day, with the works of such luminaries as Hammer Horror and H.P. Lovecraft being honoured with songs, and once again Sabbath-derived doom metal is the musical style the band present us with. And once again, few bands come up with heavier or more compelling riffs to justify this bong-induced haze than Electric Wizard. It might not quite reach the standards of Dopethrone, but it gives me every reason to hope that the band will produce another five-star classic in the future, and is a more than entertaining enough album in its own right.