SilentScream213 Boring, repetitive, boring, heavy, boring, fuzzy, boring, noisy, and boring. Insulting how this is considered a great release in Doom Metal when it is not Doom Metal at all. Droning, Stoner “riffs” caked in enough fuzz that you’re tricked into thinking this is some kind of atmospheric soundscape. Played slow with insane lethargy, not for the sake of emphasizing mood or feeling, but because the band members were probably too burnt to be bothered to play anything else.

I do usually like to see the value in something even if it isn’t for me, but the mass praise this thing gets means I don’t need to cut it any breaks. It doesn’t do anything except layer on guitar fuzz, and I don’t understand what the appeal to that is supposed to be. Rather, I can see how inebriated people are fooled into liking this, but for the album to be so widely beloved and acclaimed? What is going on? How is this appealing to so many people? Albums like this truly make me feel like I’ve lost touch with the world.

UMUR "Black Masses" is the 7th full-length studio album by UK stoner/doom metal act Electric Wizard. The album was released through Rise Above Records in November 2010. There´s been one lineup change since "Witchcult Today (2007)" as bassist Rob Al-Issa has been replaced by Tas (Real name Tasos Danazoglou).

Stylistically it´s more or less a continuation of the stoner/doom metal style of the predecessor. It´s filthy, distorted, dark, psychadelic, and occasionally quite aggressive. Electric Wizard have always been masters of striking a good balance between crushingly heavy occult themed darkness and psychadelic stoned out jamming. Sometimes it has worked wonders and sometimes it´s been a little less successful. "Black Masses" features both excellent moments and less interesting ones. Typically the more structured parts of the tracks on the album work really well. Aggressive, distorted, and desperate sounding vocals by lead vocalist/guitarist Jus Oborn, crushingly heavy riff and rhythms, all packed in an organic and raw sounding production, which suits the music perfectly. Most tracks have a tendency to drag on for too long though, often closing with what seems like endless repetition of the same riffs/rhythms layered with feedback noises and psychadelic effects. It works well for a minute or two, but then those sections overstay their welcome. The inclusion of the dark droning 8:49 minutes long instrumental "Crypt of Drugula", which closes the album, is also a bit hard on the ears of the listener who just wants something recognisable to hang on to.

When that is said I always praise uncompromising artists, and Electric Wizard definitely belong in that catagory. They obviously play exactly what they want to, when they want to, and although they have a basic musical formula, which has worked well for them for years, they don´t necessarily try and replicate their greatest successes. Upon conclusion "Black Masses" is another quality stoner/doom metal release by Electric Wizard and although it may not be their most innovative album nor their most high quality work a 3.5 star (70%) rating is still well deserved.

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.

UMUR "We Live" is the 5th full-length studio album by UK stoner/doom metal act Electric Wizard. The album was released through Rise Above Records in June 2004. Although it´s only been two years since the release of "Let Us Prey (2002)" there have been some quite radical changes in the band lineup, as both bassist Tim Bagshaw, and drummer Mark Greening have left Electric Wizard, leaving vocalist/guitarist Jus Oborn as the only remaining original member. The new lineup consists of Jus Oborn (vocals, guitars), Liz Buckingham (guitars), Rob Al-Issa (Bass), and Justin Greaves (drums), making Electric Wizard a four-piece for the first time.

Stylistically the music on "We Live" pretty much continue down the same psychadelic tinged stoner/doom metal path of "Let Us Prey (2002)" though. There´s still an occult and dark atmosphere about the music (which is also obvious from reading songtitles like "Flowers of Evil a.k.a. Malfiore" and "The Sun Has Turned to Black"), and the distinct underlying aggression is present too. The riffs are crushingly heavy, and the rhythm section follows suit. There´s also a hypnotic repetitive psychadelic element to the music which is quite prominent, so while the music features regular vers/chorus structures, it often goes beyond that, and presents the listener with something a bit more structurally loose.

"We Live" is generally a very organic sounding release. The performance of the music flows naturally, the sound production is raw, earthy and analogue tinged, and the material is well balanced between structure and jam oriented sections. The 10:48 minutes long opening "Eko Eko Azarak: I. Invocation - II. Ritual" is a good example of the more loose psychadelic side of the band´s music, while the dark, crushingly heavy, and occasionally quite aggressive side is well represented in tracks like the title track and "Flowers of Evil a.k.a. Malfiore". That´s truly doomy darkness, yet still with a psychadelic touch. It´s however more a "trip gone wrong" type of psychadelic touch rather than a happy "hippie flower power" touch. "Another Perfect Day?" is another interesting track, as it opens in a pretty fast-paced rock´n´roll oriented style and then drops to a crushingly heavy doom metal style in the middle. It´s not only good for the overall variation of the album, but also works really well within the particular track. "The Sun Has Turned to Black" and "Saturn's Children" close the album in slow doomy style, and it´s only during those two tracks that it sometimes gets too repetitive and monotone.

Upon conclusion "We Live" is yet another high quality stoner/doom metal release by Electric Wizard. It´s not as surprising or innovative as some of the group´s early releases, although the psychadelic element has become stronger, and has changed the band´s sound a bit, but you can´t deny strong and memorable songwriting, excellent musicianship, and a professional, organic, and raw sound production. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

Warthur Having produced perhaps their heaviest post-Dopethrone release in the form of Time to Die, for this followup Electric Wizard have gone right back to the other extreme of their sound, incorporating extensive heavy psych influences. They don't go full psych, but the style of metal here is very much sat on the stoner-doom boundary, with a tone reminiscent less of Black Sabbath than it is of the various hard-edged garage rock bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Naturally, their customary subject matter hasn't changed all that much - "See You In Hell" pretty much sums up the manifesto of the album, and is called back to in a catchy chorus on the closing Mourning of the Magicians.

Certainly, this is a more accessible than average Electric Wizard - it doesn't instantly immerse you in the deepest depths of doom like Dopethrone did, nor has any Electric Wizard release been quite as toe-tappingly catchy as this one. Nonetheless, nobody could accuse this of being an especially commercial sound either. Perhaps it's simply Electric Wizard deigning to notice the wave of 1970s-worshipping horror/fantasy-reading occult rock groups who've grown up in their wake, and taking the chance to beat them at their own game. As far as I'm concerned, it's yet another essential release from them.