Electric Wizard - Wizard Bloody Wizard (2017)

So there's this tiny little band that you've probably never heard of before called Electric Wizard. They've recently released their 9th studio album "Wizard Bloody Wizard" and it seems like everyone and their brother has something to say about it... Including me! I guess the first thing to address are the scores of people frothing at the mouth screaming that this album sucks - it doesn't. This is solid stoner doom wallowing in the darkness with a little retro 70s influence (Sabbath stuff specifically). It has a much cleaner sound than any of their albums before, reining in their all-consuming reverberation for a more localized fuzz. Combine that with the direction of the second track "Necromania" or the fourth "The Reaper" and you'll realize that this album puts more focus on being occult rather than heavy. Does that make it bad? Not at all, there's plenty of music I love in that same niche. So there's a shift, but it's still Electric Wizard at its core with Jus Oborn's deadpan wails, far wandering guitar leads, and evil blues influence scattered throughout. If the fifth track "Wicked Caresses" was mixed and mastered differently it could fit in with the material on any of their albums from the last decade. If you're paying attention there's a ton of kick ass moments on the bass here - almost every song has something noteworthy. So what's with the hate? Well, it FEELS like a late career album. Like a lot of successful bands that have been around for a while (I think Motörhead and the Ramones also hit this point eventually), it sounds like Electric Wizard is comfortable with their legacy of amazing, genre-defining material and they aren't pushing themselves to top it. As a result Wizard Bloody Wizard is admittedly weak compared to the rest of their catalog, but it's a totally enjoyable album when taken on its own. Just listen to it without expectations of a new masterpiece and you're probably going to dig it. -Brandon

 

Neither God Nor Master - EP1 (2017)

Neither God Nor Master is a band snaking their way out of Brooklyn, New York bearing the weight of their debut, "EP1". This is a release that's way too short for the massive sound that it introduces, featuring only two songs of heavy, sinister stoner doom. Musically, it's molasses - thick and slow churning with a sound that you'll get caught in. Then once you're good and stuck, vocals reach out from beyond the veil of death, all arcane and reverberating, and run over everything like water that keeps the songs flowing. The first track "The Weedologue" feels like a cross between a funeral procession and a journey through the desert Dopesmoker-style. While on the trek, the song seems to draw out all of the ghosts that have been haunting your mind and lay them bare right before your eyes. But then it all dies suddenly on a Sweet Leaf inspired coughing fit before slinking into the next song, "Who Placates The Fire". This is a tune full of spine-tingling evil with riffs that slog through the darkness. The vocals here make you feel like you're slipping away like a grain of sand in an hourglass, eventually descending into the abyss. EP1 is awesome, but goddamn, two songs is not enough! I'm going to need EP 2, 3, 4, 5, and a full-length! -Brandon

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Forest of Legend - S/T (2017)

Judging by the band's name and their cover art, I wouldn’t of pegged Forrest of Legend as being Stoner Doom. At first glance you might suspect that they could be folk metal or some sort of Black Metal from the Pacific Northwest. Nope, Forrest of Legend are straight up Stoner Doom in the same vein as Sleep, early Cough, and Church of Misery. This shit is real toasty. They have a wall of fuzz that makes you want to kneel at the altar of Iommi and Pike and praise/thank them for paving the way for the many who try to replicate their sound. Forest of Legend is no exception. They may where their influences proudly on their sleeves, but they take their worshiping seriously, and always keep the sabbath unholy. The riffs are simple yet memorable and catchy. Plus the singer totally slays it with the vocals, adding a bit of gravel in his delivery of the melody. The leads on the album are pretty smoking too, and surprisingly enough they didn't remind of Pike or Iommi. While this might not be the most original album, nor does it push the envelope for Stoner Doom, it has its charm and you're likely to get hooked. Highly recommended! -Samir

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L.o.W - Bones EP (2017)

Hailing from Szczecin, Poland, L.o.W (I have no fucking idea what it means), play filthy sounding Sludge Doom with a slight stoner vibe for the reefer fiends out there. Their sound is indeed low, as well as thick, fat and nasty. Sickening grooves and sinister riffs make "Bones" worth checking out. This is the type of sludge that's thick like molasses and fuzzy like a grizzly. The bass sound on this fucking rules. It has the right amount of distortion to where it just blends in with the fuzz of the guitar, but you can still feel its presence and you know it's there. The vocals go between your typical harsh screamed vocals commonly heard in Sludge, and Death Metal growls which gives the songs their monstrous if not demonic presence. This isn't heavy in a sort of chugging way, but the riffs move like tides of rot and refuse, as it swallows you whole, collapsing your body, and becoming one with the dirt, slime, muck, and of course sludge. That's the kind of heavy this is. It shifts in waves, and its grooves are quite infectious. Anyway, go check out "Bones". Minus the intro it's really only three songs, but this EP rules, and I'm anticipating more from these dudes. Cheers! -Samir

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Sator - Ordeal (2017)

Genoa, Italy's Sator have clawed their way out of a black cloud of misery in order to unleash their second album, Ordeal. This one strikes with a hammer in both fists, delivering a harsh and heavy sludge/doom combo that's ready to ruin you. Every riff seems to be played through gritted teeth, pushing through pent up aggression but pounded out steadily and without mercy. These run over staggering rhythms that pull the sound together to make a savage groove. The album has a sort of a bare-knuckle bleakness to it. You'll hear songs that brood with anguish as they ring out slow and painful ("Sky Burial") but also tunes that thunder forward, threatening and driven ("Soulride"). A slight psychedelic influence also trickles in through the guitar leads - they're sorrowful, but dabble with the discordant and trippy. The music can be brutal, but listening to the vocals is like standing in a fiery whirlwind - it's a violent howling sound all around you that's fueled by an unquenchable fury. Feedback shrieks throughout the album too, filling the gaps and keeping you on edge. It ends in chants from a choir and a haze of whining amplifiers as though it's attempting to cling to life, but has simply expended itself. Ordeal is doomy, ferocious, and probably exactly what you need in your life so get it in your ears already! -Brandon

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Black Road - S/T EP (2017)

Earlier this year, I had the great fortune of catching Black Road in concert when they opened for Brimstone Coven. I hadn't heard of the band before I saw them that night, but I was immediately enamored with their rockin' doomy vibes. After their set, I wandered over to the merch table and was disappointed to learn that they didn't have any tunes. But today I am vindicated - Black Road's debut EP has arrived and like a witch's cauldron it's bubbling and smoking with all kinds of wicked goodness! This one stands at the crossroads of doom and bluesy rock with warm stoner fuzz churning underneath. It's fronted by spellbinding female vocals that seem to breathe an occult fire into each track. The songs roll at an easy pa itce with fluid riffs that keep each track swinging smooth and sinister the whole way - even through the awesome, blistering guitar solos. Waiting dead in the center of the EP are the companion pieces Morte and Morte (coda) - two eerie instrumentals that take departure from the other songs. Layers of keys and guitar are swimming in a strange darkness that creates a sound fit for a haunted mansion. In either style, this release is chock-full of shadowy magic, so give it a listen and let it cast its spell. -Brandon
 

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Skaarv - S/T (2017)

There's a restless chimera that's on a rampage and they're calling it Skaarv - it's a real beast of an album put out by the Norwegian band of the same name. This is one big stew of heavy metal styles in which the band dumped in stoner, sludge, southern, and even groove to produce a flavorful combination of sound. Depending on which track you're listening to, you'll hear chunks of each genre in different amounts - sometimes you'll get a heavy dose of southern metal with some sludgy flair, other times it's stoner with a mid-tempo groove. But no matter what kind of earful you're getting at the moment, it's going to be backed by a heavy rhythm that will get you moving and overlaid with some solid riffing and guitar leads. The album has a few calm moments like on "Culling in the Mist" or the last track "Horizon" in order to showcase some cleaner guitar work, but aside from that it's a ton of hard hitting music meant to drive you. There's no shortage of grooves here - they're going to grab you and throw you around continuously until you forget who you are. This isn't the type of sound I'd expect to find out in Norway at all, but it doesn't matter - Skaarv is a melting pot of good shit, so dig in because you're going to find something you like! - Brandon

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