ELECTRIC WIZARD — Dopethrone (review)

ELECTRIC WIZARD — Dopethrone album cover

Album · 2000 · Stoner Metal

4.5/5 · 2012-01-15
UMUR

"Dopethrone" is the 3rd full-length studio album by stoner/doom metal act Electric Wizard. The album was released through Rise Above Records in October 2000. The original version featured 8 tracks while later versions include the track "Mind Transferral" as a bonus track (it has previously only been available on the Japanese version of the album). As a consequence of including the bonus track the band removed the around 10 minutes of silence that was originally a part of the 20:48 minutes long closing title track.

The music on the album is filthy, loud, heavily distorted and fuzzy sounding doom/stoner metal. The vocals, which are distorted, raw and low in the mix are of a quite aggressive nature, which along with the extremely heavy and slow, yet groove based riffing and rythms create the basis of the band´s music. This is ultimately the blues taken to it´s most heavy extreme. While this is at it´s core traditional doom metal greatly influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath, Pentragram and Saint Vitus, the music on "Dopethrone" is generally of a far more extreme nature than the music of the influences. The tracks are generally pretty long and feature few riffs that are repeated over and over again. While that description may not sound like the most interesting thing in the world, listening to the music will probably give you another perspective. Yes this is repetitive, but the repetition is a means to create a hypnotic vibe. It´s kind of like listening to a psychadelic trip that´s gone bad, ugly and evil. The occult themed and dark lyrics provide just the right words to describe that trip. In addition to that the album features several samples from horror, fantasy and witch movies which also help create the right atmosphere.

"Dopethrone" features several highlights and is IMO an album that needs to be listened to in full to fully appreciate, but if I have to point out a couple of favorites it would be "Funeralopolis" and "I, the Witchfinder". The 15:04 minutes long "Weird Tales: I. Electric Frost - II. Golgotha - III. Altar of Melektaus" which is divided into three sections also deserves a mention for it´s diversity. It starts off in doom/stoner metal mode, then enters a crushingly heavy almost funeral doom type section and ends with a section that can only be described as drone.

Not enough praises can be given to producer Rolf Startin who has created a massive, loud, distorted and fuzzy sound that suits the music perfectly. It´s the kind of bass heavy sound that causes loss of breath and threatens to make your intestines implode.

"Dopethrone" is overall quite a monumental release and by now a doom/stoner metal classic. Because of it´s extreme nature it´s probably not a release that will please everyone, but to those who enjoy their doom/stoner metal raw, filthy, distorted and louder than loud "Dopethrone" is not only a recommended listen, it´s a mandatory one. A 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.

more than 2 years ago
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Pekka wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Funeralopolis is a really fun song to bash out with a couple of friends, we've played that one a lot. Haven't really given any attention to the rest of the album yet, I must admit.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I´ve read a lot about Electric Wizard but never checked them out, but my local library sold a lot of their CDs at a very cheap price (10 Danish Kroner) and to my great surprise this one came out of the bin. It was literally thrown at me :-O.