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Electric Wizard

 
Artist: Electric Wizard
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Group Members:

Shaun Rutter, Liz Buckingham, Rob Al-Issa

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Cathedral, Orange Goblin, The Obsessed, Memento Mori, Kyuss, Saint Vitus, Sleep, The Sabians, Firebird, Witchcraft, Fireball Ministry, Solarized, Church of Misery, Spiritual Beggars, Sons of Otis, Sheavy, Acrimony, Pentagram, Farflung, Acid King, Cemetary, Solitude Aeturnus, Trouble, Candlemass
  • Formed: 1993, Dorset, England
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "Dopethrone," "Come My Fanatics...," "Electric Wizard"
  • Representative Songs: "Mountains of Mars," "Stone Magnet," "Dopethrone"

Biography

Often referred to as the "heaviest band in the universe," England's Electric Wizard have consistently redefined the preconceived thresholds of a detuned guitar chord with their peerless doom metal achievements -- this despite an often interpersonally troubled, if musically triumphant, career. Formed in darkest Dorset by vocalist/guitarist Justin Oborn (previously with Lords of Putrefaction), bassist Tim Bagshaw and drummer Mark Greening, and initially known as Thy Grief Eternal (briefer still, simply Eternal), Electric Wizard made their debut with 1993's "Demon Lung" single -- a split release with fellow doomsters Our Haunted Kingdom (who later evolved into Orange Goblin). Released by Cathedral linchpin Lee Dorrian's doom-specialized Rise Above Records, the single paved the way for Electric Wizard's eponymous debut a year later; and, although it didn't quite revolutionize the genre (actually, it contained pretty standard doom fare for the time), the album still made for a rather impressive start. 1996's sophomore album, Come My Fanatics... was another matter entirely, however, effectively rewriting the doom rule book with the sheer volume and distortion contained in its planet-sized riffs, and rattling the underground metal scene to its core in the process. Unfortunately, its seismic aftershocks would also be felt by the members of Electric Wizard, who, due to various, poorly explained injuries (Greening was dealt a broken arm, while Oborn first lost a fingertip in a domestic accident and, less surprisingly, later suffered a ruptured eardrum!), managed only a set of EPs -- '97s Chrono.Naut and '98s Supercoven -- in the next three years. Other sources suggested the band's absence had a lot more to do with crippling weed consumption and/or simple lack of motivation, but all speculation was duly obliterated by the long-awaited arrival of the band's third magnum opus, 2000's superlative Dopethrone. Like its predecessor four years prior, Dopethrone was a revelation in terms of absolute mass applied to amazingly memorable songwriting. In fact, it so effortlessly bridged the stylistic gaps between doom, sludge, stoner, horror, and, at times, even space metal, that 2002's unusually efficiently recorded follow-up, Let Us Prey, often felt like a collection of outtakes from it. And yet, Let Us Prey was anything but a throwaway effort, and helped further Electric Wizard's cause worldwide even as the group was crumbling from the inside. Tensions were mounting and the trio's ill-fated American tour that summer pushed the growing animosity between Oborn and his cohorts to the breaking point, and their final date in Philadelphia was actually billed as Electric Wizard's farewell show. This, as it turned out, proved to be a premature publicity stunt, but the band's next tour of the U.K. (in support of Cathedral) would see Greening replaced by former Iron Monkey drummer Justin Greaves, and ended with Bagshaw's long-rumored departure as well. Curiously, he quickly reconnected with Greening in a new group called Ramesses, while, for his part, Oborn took a few months off to ponder his next move. In time, he decided to move forward with a new, expanded lineup featuring ex-13 and Sourvein guitarist Liz Buckingham, bassist Rob Al-Issa, and the aforementioned Greaves and the reborn Electric Wizard released its fifth full studio album in 2004's aptly-named We Live. ~ Ed Rivadavia & Tara Koets, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Electric Wizard
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Electric Wizard

Performing live at Hole in the Sky 2008
Background information
Origin Dorset, England
Genres Doom metal, stoner metal
Years active 1993–present
Labels Rise Above
Associated acts Ramesses, Sourvein, 13, Iron Monkey, Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine
Members
Jus Oborn
Liz Buckingham
Tas
Shaun Rutter
Former members
Tim Bagshaw
Mark Greening
Justin Greaves
Rob Al-Issa

Electric Wizard are a doom metal band from Dorset, England that formed in 1993. The band have since recorded six albums, two of which are now considered to be landmarks of their genre: Come My Fanatics... and Dopethrone.[1][2] Electric Wizard have a distinct yet traditional doom metal sound that incorporates stoner and sludge traits, with lyrics typically involving the occult, witchcraft, H.P. Lovecraft, horror films and cannabis. During 2003, founding members Tim Bagshaw and Mark Greening left to form the band Ramesses, making Jus Oborn the only founding member who remains.

Contents

History

Electric Wizard began in Dorset, England during 1993, when guitarist Jus Oborn left the band Eternal/Thy Grief Eternal and joined with bassist Tim Bagshaw and drummer Mark Greening.

In 1995 the band signed to Rise Above Records and released their self-titled debut album, Electric Wizard.[3] The music was in the vein of traditional doom metal, and it received positive reviews. Later that year they released the song "Demon Lung" as a split-single with Our Haunted Kingdom (later to become Orange Goblin). In 1997 the band recorded and released, Come My Fanatics..., an album which has come to define Electric Wizard's sound.[3] Later that year, Man's Ruin records introduced the band to American audiences with the Chrono.Naut EP.[3]

In the three years following the release of Come My Fanatics...., the members of Electric Wizard encountered a series of setbacks. There were legal issues – Oborn was arrested for possession of cannabis, Greening was arrested for assaulting a police officer, and Bagshaw served a sentence for robbery[4]. Health problems also plagued the band – Oborn suffered a collapsed eardrum during a concert, and later severed a fingertip in a DIY accident.[5] Greening also broke his collarbone in a motorcycle accident[6][7]. During this time the band released the Supercoven EP on Bad Acid Records.

After recovering from their complications, Electric Wizard finally recorded and released a third album, Dopethrone, in 2000. This album expanded upon themes from Come My Fanatics... and pushed doom metal into unknown territories.[2] Their next album, entitled Let Us Prey, was released in 2002. It was Electric Wizard's most experimental record, adopting an aggressive sound similar to sludge metal. Following the release the band embarked on an ill-fated North American tour that produced tensions between band members. The final concert of the tour was announced as their last, but this would prove a premature announcement. Electric Wizard subsequently returned to the UK for a tour with Cathedral, on which Greening was replaced by Justin Greaves (of Iron Monkey).[3][5] In April 2003 Greening and Bagshaw left the band to form Ramesses.[3]

In August 2003, Oborn revealed Electric Wizard's new line-up – drummer Greaves, second-guitarist Liz Buckingham (of 13 and Sourvein), and bassist Rob Al-Issa.[3] This new lineup recorded We Live in 2004, which featured a similar sound to Let Us Prey, but with a much "tighter" style. The general response from critics and fans has been mixed. Greaves left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Shaun Rutter. In November 2007, Electric Wizard released their most recent album, entitled Witchcult Today. It was recorded entirely using vintage audio equipment from the 1970s.[8] Witchcult Today has earned the band its most favourable reception since 2000.

In 2009 Electric Wizard are booked to perform their last live appearance for the foreseeable future at the Damnation Festival 2009 on October 24. After these engagements Electric Wizard will be concentrating on work for their new ,as yet untitled, LP to be released.

Members

Current members

Past members

  • Rob Al-Issa – bass (2003-2008)
  • Tim Bagshaw – bass (now in Ramesses) (1993-2003)
  • Mark Greening – drums (also now in Ramesses) (1993-2003)
  • Justin Greaves – drums (former member of Iron Monkey, Borknagar, Hard to Swallow, Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine; current member of Crippled Black Phoenix) (2003-2006)

Discography

Studio albums

All studio albums released on Rise Above Records.

EPs

Year Title Label Notes
1996 Demon Lung Rise Above Split 7" with Our Haunted Kingdom
1997 Chrono.Naut Man's Ruin
1997 Chrono.Naut/Nuclear Guru Man's Ruin Split CD with Orange Goblin
1998 Supercoven Bad Acid Reissued with extra songs in 2000
2008 The House on the Borderland Rise Above Split 12" with Reverend Bizarre
2008 The Processean Rise Above Sold exclusively at the Rise Above Records 20th Anniversary Show (13 December 2008)

Compilations

References

  1. ^ Rivadavia, Ed. "Come My Fanatics... Review". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dpfyxqwkldse. Retrieved 2008-02-03. "Essential doom" 
  2. ^ a b Rivadavia, Ed. "Dopethrone Review". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:h9fwxq90ldke. Retrieved 2008-02-03. "with Dopethrone, Electric Wizard has raised the bar for doom metal achievement in the new millennium" 
  3. ^ a b c d e f Electric Wizard biography at MusicMight
  4. ^ Lolipop: Electric Wizard
  5. ^ a b Electric Wizard biography at Allmusic
  6. ^ Electric Wizard
  7. ^ MetalReactor: Electric Wizard Biography
  8. ^ Electric Wizard biography at Rise Above Records

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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Come My Fanatics.../Electric Wizard (2003 Album by Electric Wizard)
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