Electric Wizard — Dopethrone
Dopethrone was recorded in 2000, but could easily pass off as something recorded in the late 70’s, in the very depths of hell. Electric Wizard come across like the house band of some black cult in the middle of the desert, playing endless out though pot and sandalwood hazed air. Every track is stacked to the ceiling with crushing streched out doomy, come sludgy blues riffs. Lyrics are heavily laced with horror and sci fi and drug imagery, by vocalist that brings to mind Greg Lake's distored vocals on King Crimson's 20th century Schizoid man.The thing that most appealing and awe inspiring is the production and sound they managed to create , it’s like heavy as hell but the buried inside a coffin with the amps turn up as high as they’ll go , everything seems to vibrate and mesh into this wonderful psychedelic, devilish slugg. They also use film samples, but there cleverly placed and very effective. Adding to the whole immense atmosphere.
Highlights includes the sludgy weighted blues rock of funeralopolis , which builds up to a dizzy heavy hights as guitarist and vocalist Jus Orborn screams and yells over and over “nuclear warheads ready to strike, this world is so fucked lets end it to night”. Weird tales the longest track on offer here at 15 minutes, starting up in punk encrusted doom mood, before sliding in churning swamps of slow moving riff patterns, that bend and slip into each other, then the track slows to a near stop with the strike of a gong. Some of the most hypnotic, swirling evil sounding riffs, are then set a crawling, with star constellation bass vibrations making beautiful black shapes, truly awe inspiring stuff.
As for the extra track on offer here Mind Transferral, is again a classic piece of fuzzed and distorted cored black mass of riffling, more in a god batter jam form, it stays vocaless, but it’s an satisfying and appealing extra . Draging it’s shoulder bowing weight, along for near on 15 minutes.
Basically even if you have a passing interesting in doom or any form of extreme sound torture for that matter, you need this now. And if you already have it it’s well worth picking up to have it in a even more sludgy, down and dirty dark heavy masterpiece. To pick this up along the other Electric Wizard reissue go here.