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All Music Guide:
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.
Released in 1996, 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 -- 1997s Chrono.Naut and 1998's 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 their fifth full studio album in 2004's aptly named We Live. Electric Wizard had another lineup change in 2006 when Greaves was replaced by Shaun Rutter, who made his debut on their sixth album, 2007's Witchcult Today. The musical chairs would continue in 2008 when Al-Issa left the band and was replaced by bassist Tas. With their lineup once again solid, Electric Wizard released Black Masses in 2010. Electric Wizard went through yet another lineup change in 2012 when Glenn Charman and Simon Poole came on board to replace Tas and Rutter, respectively.
Wikipedia:
Electric Wizard are a doom metal band from Dorset, England. The band formed in 1993 and have recorded seven albums, two of which are now considered to be genre landmarks: Come My Fanatics... and Dopethrone. Electric Wizard's brand of doom metal incorporates stoner and sludge traits, with lyrics focusing on the occult, witchcraft, H.P. Lovecraft, horror films and marijuana.
History [edit]
Pre-Electric Wizard [edit]
The origins of Electric Wizard go back to 1988 and Jus Oborn's band Lord of Putrefaction. They put out three demo tapes from 1989–1991 and also did one split with Mortal Remains. In 1992, the name was changed to Thy Grief Eternal after Adam Richardson left the band. They put out one demo under this name titled On Blackened Wings. In 1993, James Evans left the band and they once again changed their name, shortening it to Eternal. The band released two demos under this name. After Gavin Gillingham left the band, Jus Oborn started Electric Wizard. The recordings from this era were issued on the Pre-Electric Wizard 1989–1994 compilation in 2006.
1993–2003 [edit]
Electric Wizard began in Wimborne in Dorset, England during 1993, and was composed of guitarist Jus Oborn, bassist Tim Bagshaw, and drummer Mark Greening. The band's name was taken from two Black Sabbath songs: "Electric Funeral" and "The Wizard". Oborn remarked, "Is the name Electric Wizard made out of two Black Sabbath song titles? (smokes a big bud of weed through a can) Hahahaha, yeah it is!"
In 1995 the band signed to Rise Above Records and released their self-titled debut album. The music was in the vein of traditional doom metal, and 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..., which introduced the stoner and sludge elements that have come to define Electric Wizard's sound. Later that year, Man's Ruin Records released the Chrono.Naut EP.
During the three years following the release of Come My Fanatics..., the members of Electric Wizard encountered a series of setbacks. There were legal issues which included Oborn's arrest for possession of cannabis, Greening's arrest for assaulting a police officer, and Bagshaw's serving of his sentence for robbery. Health problems also plagued the band, with Oborn suffering a collapsed eardrum during a concert and later severing a fingertip in a domestic accident. Greening also broke his collarbone in a motorcycle accident. Despite these setbacks, Electric Wizard released the Supercoven EP on Bad Acid Records in 1998 and then recorded and released Dopethrone in 2000, which was described by Allmusic as a "dirge masterpiece" and is regarded as the band's magnum opus.
Their next album, Let Us Prey, was released in 2002. It was Electric Wizard's most experimental record to date. Following the release, the band embarked on a North American tour that raised tensions between band members. It was announced that the band was breaking up after the last concert of the tour. However, Electric Wizard did a UK tour with Cathedral soon after, with Justin Greaves (of Iron Monkey) standing in for Greening. In April 2003, Greening and Bagshaw left the band to form Ramesses.
2003 onward [edit]
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. This new lineup recorded We Live in 2004. As Oborn explained, the addition of Buckingham was crucial given the departure of his previous "writing partner," Bagshaw:
(The addition of) Liz was the most important element...because Tim had left the band and we were writing partners so to speak. So when Liz came aboard we were writing partners again. Our styles were very similar. We have the same sort of down-stroke pattern. And since we were writing together, Electric Wizard was happening again. I have to have a writing partner.The band toured England and Australia in support of the album and played at the 2005 Roadburn Festival. Greaves left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Shaun Rutter. The parting was not amicable, with Oborn remarking that "We fell out big time with that loser. You know, I would piss on his grave."
In November 2007, Electric Wizard released Witchcult Today. It was recorded entirely using vintage audio equipment from the 1970s. Witchcult Today was the band's most well-received album since 2000's Dopethrone. In 2008, bassist Rob Al-Issa left the band and was replaced by Tas Danazoglou. Three years later, in November 2010, Electric Wizard released their latest album: Black Masses. In support of the new album; the band played a small tour starting at Halloween with Moss as the supporting band.
On 31 March 2012, Electric Wizard played in London at the HMV Forum, debuting its newest members, bassist Glenn Charman and drummer Simon Poole. A 7" EP titled Legalise Drugs and Murder was available for sale at the show. After the gig it was announced that it would be released worldwide and that more EPs would follow. On 1 October 2012, some copies of Terrorizer came with a cassette EP of Legalise Drugs and Murder which contained the two songs from the 7" along with two outtakes and two new songs.
In 2012, Mark Greening started rehearsing with the band again. He officially left Ramesses to rejoin Electric Wizard once again.
