Review Summary: The Wizard invites you to sniff a dose to an early sample of what their forthcoming album might sound like. Can you refuse their offer ?
2010 proved to be a successful year for Electric Wizard. The British band released their 7th studio album
Black Masses, which was received quite well by the critics and fans alike. Immediately, a tour was followed to support the album, which was also the band's most profitable. And then, just when everything seemed to be right, and the band was in a good shape, while it was heading to rise up anew to past acclaim as one of the top metal acts, something peculiar occurred. Jus Oborn the founder and the mastermind of the band, yet again thought it was a good idea to make multiple changes in the line up, so he got rid of Tas Danazoglou and Shaun Rutter. They were replaced by Glenn Charman and Simon Poole in March 31, where they performed, with the rest of the band, at the London Forum.
I’m trying to understand the reasons behind these constant line up changes. Did Danazoglou and Rutter finally reached their full potential ? Did Oborn realized the band is in need of fresh new ideas ? Is there any other reason ? Is it because, as the group’s leader, he cannot get along with anyone else, with the exception being that of his own wife ? Whatever the reasons are one thing is for certain: With each new recruiting, the identity of a band is altered. That can be for better or for worse, depending on what your aims and objectives really are.
Nevertheless, after the gig a new EP was released worldwide called
Legalise Drugs and Murder. The artwork is a homage to Sabbath’s
Master of Reality, and i don’t bother to wonder why, since they are Electric Wizard’s biggest inspiration. After all, Oborn named his band after his two favorite Sabbath songs,
Electric Funeral and
The Wizard.
The EP proved to be a great offer. The two tracks do a splendid job burying you under a sludgy wall of psychedelic distortion. The sickening, fat sounds married with chaotic provocative lyrics, create a unique obsessive atmosphere filled with addictive melodies. You can actually smell the drugs, feel the compulsion caused by destructive consumption. The EP starts out with a song bearing the same name as the release.
Legalise Drugs and Murder is vintage Electric Wizard. It really doesn’t offer anything new, as the sound will remind you their previous work, but in all honestly, they do a pretty damn good job writing over and over again identical material.
The second track is called
Murder and Madness, which is an instrumental song and it’s quite different from the previous track. From what i can remember, the band has engaged again in the past on writing instrumentals.
Mountains of Mars,
Solarian 13,
The Hills Have Eyes are all excellent examples and
Murder and Madness proves to be no exception. A slow, repetitive melody embarks you in a journey full of mysteriously, horrifying hallucinations, drowning you into a non-ambitient nightmare. That’s great stuff if you want to scary your little brother or make your parents (especially your mother) goggle their eyes in terror, and make them wonder what the hell is that you are listening to.
With this release, Electric Wizard proves that they are alive and kicking. If this is indeed a leaning sample of what their next album might sound like, then it will be another classic addition to their discography. Only time will tell. Until then, i strongly advise you to give this a carefull spin.
But be warned; Complications may occur due to the substance consumed.
