THE ELECTRIC WIZARD 'We Live'
(Rise Above Records) (2004)
Change is not always a bad thing, and in some cases it is almost inevitable - something that Justin Oborn, leader of the Doom Metal act The Electric Wizard learned first hand. Justin saw two of his band members, drummer Mark Greening and bass player Tim Bagshaw, leaving right at the point when the band begun to receive the recognition and appreciation it deserved. Things seemed to be quite uncertain, but the very experienced frontman had quite a few aces hidden up his sleeve, one of which is former Iron Monkey’s drummer Justin Greaves.
Electric Wizard are renowned for the heaviness of their compositions, but I have to admit that Greaves gave an additional injection of power to the band just at the right time. The other most important thing that happened was the addition of Liz Buckingham as a second guitar player.
With two guitarists now in the band, the sound of Electric Wizard became more solid and aggressive. The last person to join this young team was Rob Al-Issa on the bass guitar, and that exact line up recorded what was to become the band’s fifth studio release "We Live".
There’s a very good reason why Lee Dorian decided to invest in this band, and I believe that this album does justice to his correct instinct once again. "We Live" is not just another album for this very unique band - it’s a statement, and even though I enjoyed all the previous releases of the band, I strongly believe that this is Electric Wizard’s best effort so far.
You can feel the power and the dynamics of this album from the very first notes of "Eko Eko Azarak", a very weird song - a typical Electric Wizard composition that sounds more like a ritual chant. Talking about rage: wait till you listen to the same-titled "We Live". It seems that Justin decided to exorcise his demons in this composition, by performing some of the heaviest riffs so far.
Once again Justine Greaves’ participation does not go unnoticed. The demonstration of slow and heavy riffs continues with "Flower Of Evil a.k.a.Malfiore", before the unspeakable happens: The band decided to write a fast song! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s true. "Another Perfect Day" is, in parts, a remarkably fast song (for the band’s standards that is) with a 70’s feeling, and in my opinion one of the best songs of the album.
The second song that managed to impress me a lot is called "The Sun HasTurned to Black", a classic doom/heavy song in which Justin Greaves’ performance on drums will manage to convince every fan of this band that he’s the best possible person to sit behind the drum kit. The last song of the album, which is also the longest composition, is "Saturn’s Children". This is simply Electric Wizards’ tribute to the very influential bands that answer to the names Black Sabbath and Pentagram.
I have seen Electric Wizard performing quite a few times so far, and the main thing that I appreciate about them is their passion for their music. If that’s exactly what you’re looking for from a band, I suggest that you buy this album, and meet me in London the next time that they decide to come for a gig. By the way, bring your earplugs with you- the music will once again be really loud and you will definitely need them!
****
Review by John Stefanis
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