Electric Wizard
Time to Die


4.0
excellent

Review

by ExplosiveOranges USER (72 Reviews)
September 28th, 2014 | 206 replies


Release Date: 2014 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Less the pungent odor of marijuana, more the lingering stench of corpses and burnt candles.

At this point in time, it’d be redundant to give some long introductory monologue about the state of doom and stoner metal music, and how the veterans of the genre have somehow managed to rise again and outdo newer bands. Face it: Electric Wizard is, and always has been, one of the most consistent and excellent bands in doom metal. Even those that have barely gotten into entry-level doom have probably at least heard the name. Whether it’s the slow, creepy atmosphere on Come My Fanatics…, the ugly, sludge feel of We Live, the drugged up insanity of Dopethrone, or the excellent return to form of Witchcult Today, Electric Wizard are one of the few bands that have never made a bad album. By now, we already know the drill: Mind-numbingly heavy riffs, distorted vocals, ambient droning well after the instruments have stopped playing, and so on. However, there’s only so long that a band can be consistent before they go into rehashing territory and fall into the vicious cycle of mediocrity. At some point, that momentum is going to start falling apart, and the next thing you know, fans will quickly get bored with the newer work and yearn for the glory days once more. Sure, some have managed to rise back from the ashes for the last laugh, but once you’ve been thrust into the void, it takes a lot of perseverance to get out. And with Time To Die, Electric Wizard aim to answer the nagging question of whether they can still hold up to the standards they set with the rest of their discography.

From the moment you see the track times and total album length, it becomes obvious that Electric Wizard aren’t even remotely close to letting up when it comes to the serious business. Only three tracks dip below seven minutes, and the album is exactly one hour, five minutes, and twenty-three seconds long. That’s longer than any other album in the band’s discography (minus the bonus tracks/ambient noise in Dopethrone). By Electric Wizard standards, that’s quite an accomplishment, for better or worse. The music itself refuses to disappoint, either. More or less, it’s over an hour of everything you’ve come to love or hate about the band. Be it the sinister, menacing vocals from Jus Oborn, the unfathomably crunchy guitar riffs and solos from Liz Buckingham, the loud, distorted bass of Clayton Burgess, or the distant, pounding drums of returning member Mark Greening, Electric Wizard channel forth the purest elements of their sound. It’s a harsh, disconnecting, unforgiving journey back into the darkest corners of doom metal, from the disturbing news-clip in the intro of “Incense for the Damned” to the continuous stream of downbeat guitars and Jus Oborn’s psychopathic rambling in “I Am Nothing”. Hell, even the song titles seem threatening, with names such as “Funeral of Your Mind”, “Lucifer’s Slave”, and perhaps the most upbeat of all, “We Love The Dead”. The clip from “Incense for the Damned” is also used repeatedly in the instrumental “Destroy Those Who Love God”, adding even more of a creepy, disjointed vibe to the music. Lyrically, the music is even more soul-crushing, with lines such as The black drug took my soul away/Her venom my blood/My tortured mind is numb/Now I am a slave/Forever in her chains”.

However, here’s where the main drawback of the album might begin to surface: There’s just too much to take in. Electric Wizard have always exercised in the art of excess, but here, there are times where it can feel like it’s too over-the-top, making it harder to power through the whole album unless you’re really into the music and feel “in the mood”, so to speak. But this is arguably the album’s biggest strength as well. The music is focused and cohesive enough to the point where it becomes impossible to just listen to. You have to really experience that sense of hopelessness, that unfathomable misery, to make the music feel whole. And ultimately, that’s the deciding factor here. If you’re willing to listen to over an hour of depressing, dismal music that deviates from traditional stoner rock and embraces the occult, then chances are that you’ll find Time To Die to be one of the better doom albums of 2014. But if you go through it inexperienced, unprepared, and with the wrong mindset, you’ll find Electric Wizard’s music more of a chore to listen to.

In the end, though, Electric Wizard are masters of being consistent at their craft, and this shines through in Time To Die perfectly. You won’t find much on here that you haven’t already heard before, but it’s executed so flawlessly that it doesn’t end up being problematic. Even if Time To Die does require a little more dedication and patience than most albums from the band, the eerie, ominous tone is what really completes the album and makes it a worthy addition to Electric Wizard’s discography.



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user ratings (301)
3.5
great
other reviews of this album
celebteee (4)
EW crank up the fear factor on this latest spooky offering. Laced with more doom and gloom than you ...

PsychicChris (3.5)
Electric Wizard definitely hasn't hit rock bottom but Time To Die they may need to evaluate their ap...



Comments:Add a Comment 
ExplosiveOranges
September 28th 2014


4408 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

http://www.npr.org/2014/09/21/348988770/first-listen-electric-wizard-time-to-die



And thus, for my 30th review, I give the middle finger to Frippertronics for doubting my ability to review this in time for the

release date, and also to the url coding system for never letting me link streams in the comments. As always,

comments/criticisms/whatnot are welcomed. And thanks to JohnnyOnTheSpot for proofreading this and helping me get it to

look better.

Jots
Emeritus
September 28th 2014


7584 Comments


yes

SharkTooth
September 28th 2014


14937 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

FUCK YEAH!!

ExplosiveOranges
September 28th 2014


4408 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Do you approve, Johnny?

Jots
Emeritus
September 28th 2014


7584 Comments


yes

ChoccyPhilly
September 28th 2014


13652 Comments


ExplosiveOranges for primeminister

Tunaboy45
September 28th 2014


18562 Comments


I've been anticipating this, need to pick it up. Great review as always, pos!

VisionsFromTheDarkSide
September 28th 2014


2440 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Excellent review, I look forward to hearing this

MoosechriS
September 28th 2014


6353 Comments


got this preordered, have been avoiding listening to any leaks a i wait for it to arrive. Sound like i'm in for a treat :-D

Frippertronics
Emeritus
September 28th 2014


19569 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

You just couldn't wait, couldn't you?



p os

SharkTooth
September 28th 2014


14937 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

@Tunaboy

judging by your ratings this'll be your first EW album, after you get this get Come My Fanatics and Dopethrone asap

ExplosiveOranges
September 28th 2014


4408 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

@Shark/Johnny YEEEEEEEE



@Choccy I'll make sure Scotland doesn't try to leave again.



@Tunaboy Thanks!



@Fripp srry for giving you the finger bby



@Visions Thanks man!



ExplosiveOranges
September 28th 2014


4408 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Edit: Double Post

SharkTooth
September 28th 2014


14937 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Also take your goddamn pos Oranges, you earned it!

Totengott
September 28th 2014


4252 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Nice review, have a pos.



I still need to jam this.

Xar
September 28th 2014


1652 Comments


should i 5 already or no?

ExplosiveOranges
September 28th 2014


4408 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Thank you, my friends. This is probably my favorite doom release of 2014 so far.

TheSpaceMan
September 28th 2014


13614 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

awesome review oranges, still haven't checked this but I know I'll come around to it... though I'm a pretty big fan of the pungent odor of marijuana

SharkTooth
September 28th 2014


14937 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

"Thank you, my friend. This is probably my favorite doom release of 2014 so far."



It's like a 3-way tie for me personally, the others being Triptykon's Melana Chasmata and Ethereal Riffian's Aeonian

ExplosiveOranges
September 28th 2014


4408 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

@ SpaceMan Thanks dude. Yeah, Dopethrone is the most marijuana-smelling EW album, but don't let that stop

you from checking this one out.



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