Electric Wizard: Black Masses (Colored Vinyl) Vinyl 2LP

The seventh album from UK doom metal juggernauts Electric Wizard grows with each listen. Relying on dark rhythms and occult obsessions, the tracks blaze through like a hot burning fire, a departure from their wavier, stoner-esque previous outings. That said, the undertones are bluesy, giving the songs a catchier sound. They take a familiar formula for stoner/doom bands – see Sleep – and turn the darkness factor up to 11. An online review perfectly captures the essence of the album: “It’s like creeping inside an ancient ruined building at midnight; you don’t know where exactly you’re stepping and there are strange noises all around you that you have no idea where they’re coming from. And you’re also drugged off your mind to boot.” The mix of hallucinogenic, psychedelic, and themes of Satanism, nihilism, apocalypse and drug-fueled paranoia create sick psychedelic nightmares of the Doomed come to life. Tracks to check out include Black Mass, Venus in Furs, Turn Off Your Mind, Satyr IX and “Scorpio Curse”. 8 tracks in all spread across 2 heavyweight LP’s and housed in a gatefold sleeve, with printed insert. Released by Rise Above Records.

• 2LP solid purple colored vinyl
• gatefold sleeve
• colored insert
• music label: Rise Above Records 2019

reviewed by Richard Cashmere 4/2019