Dopethrone is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Electric Wizard, released on 25 September 2000 by Rise Above Records. Following the release and tour of their previous studio album Come My Fanatics... (1997), the group was asked by Rise Above owner Lee Dorrian to create a follow-up. Vocalist and guitarist Jus Oborn has stated that drug issues and other personal problems led to the production of Dopethrone being a "difficult process".[1] The group entered Chuckalumba Studios in May 2000 with only three tracks written: "Dopethrone", "Funeralopolis", and "We Hate You". The album was recorded in three days. Oborn, who wrote all of the album's lyrics, spoke of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard as influences in his own writing while the group disagreed during the mixing sessions about how the overall record should sound. The music on the album has been described as both doom metal and stoner rock, with influences of British groups like Black Sabbath and Motörhead.
After Dopethrone's release, Electric Wizard went on tour with Sons of Otis in England, followed by a tour in Europe and the group's first performances in the United States. The album was released to positive reviews from Exclaim!, CMJ New Music Monthly, and The Village Voice. Retrospective reviews continued to be positive, with Decibel placing the album on their list of the "Top 20 Stoner Rock Albums of All Time" in September 2007, and Terrorizer declaring Dopethrone the album of the decade in December 2009.
Background and production
Following the release of their 1997 album Come My Fanatics..., Sean Palmerston of Exclaim! stated that Electric Wizard became "pretty much invisible".[2] Vocalist and guitarist Jus Oborn claimed that the music "isn't pop music, where there's commercial pressure to deliver all the time. This is underground metal where, if you're lucky, you might sell one or two copies".[3] Oborn felt that he was pressured by Lee Dorrian, the owner of Rise Above Records, to create a new album.[3] Oborn stated the group all had "drug issues" between the releases of the two albums. Tim Bagshaw, the group's bassist, has said that he was arrested for breaking into a liquor store, and drummer Mark Greening fell off his motorcycle and broke his collarbone. Meanwhile, Oborn was arrested for setting fire to a Reliant Robin.[1] Oborn felt that the difficulties that the band's members experienced in the three years between studio albums were channeled into Dopethrone, and that creating the album was "such a difficult process that it kind of made [life] worse."[1]
Oborn said that the group developed songs via jam sessions, which would occasionally lead to the creation of a song.[3] Prior to entering the studio, only three tracks were written: "Dopethrone", "Funeralopolis", and "We Hate You".[3] Bagshaw said that he wrote "quite a lot of the album", including writing "Vinum Sabbathi" in "about two minutes", along with "I, The Witchfinder", "Golgotha", and "We Hate You".[1] The album's centrepiece, titled "Weird Tales", was created entirely within the studio.[3] On discussing the track's multiple parts, Oborn later declared it "kind of stupid, like prog-rock or some shit."[4] Greening's contribution was hearing what Bagshaw and Oborn had come up with and drumming to it.[1] The album was recorded at Chuckalumba Studios between May and June 2000.[5] Prior to recording each song, Oborn indulged in both cannabis and cocaine; Bagshaw said that the group consumed "copious amounts of weed and booze".[6]
Bagshaw and Greening described the recording sessions as mostly about "getting really stoned" and "quite good fun", respectively.[7] Oborn recalled that the initial recording sessions were about three or four days, with the mixing taking much longer as there were arguments among the group members.[8] Oborn argued with producer Rolf Startin about how the album should sound.[7] Two longer tracks, "Weird Tales" and "Dopethrone", were completed in their first and second takes, respectively. Oborn said that "back then we didn't have a way to cut it up and just redo one part."[1] The track "Mind Transferal" was recorded during this session but only released later as a bonus track for Japanese releases of the album.[7]
Music
Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said that unlike American stoner rock that drew from punk music, grunge, and heavy metal, the music on Dopethrone was more akin to early 1970s Black Sabbath and the music of Motörhead.[9]Jim DeRogatis of The Chicago Sun-Times noted that the style was primarily known as stoner rock in the United States and "Doom" in the United Kingdom.[10] Greening spoke in 2007 about the Electric Wizard albums he had worked on, saying that "I wanted something with louder drums. I always regret all the Electric Wizard releases, because the drums don't sound loud enough", and that Dopethrone did "not represent the sound I was trying to give off, as with all Electric Wizard releases."[7] Oborn said that the other members of the group wanted to introduce elements of hip hop music and the sound of Nirvana.[3] Oborn later recalled that Bagshaw had been "into some weird shit; he'd listen to Linkin Park and shit like that. Fucking shite. [...] They wanted to put scratching or some shit on one song, and I could've killed them."[11]
Anthony Bartkewicz of Decibel commented that the Oborn's lyrics put Dopethrone more in line with death or black metal than Black Sabbath's "hippie-love brother sentiment".[12] Oborn, who wrote all of the album's lyrics, spoke of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard as an influence on his own writing, specifically the atmosphere of Lovecraft's work and Howard's "attitude towards society, these anti-civilization rants. That was a big inspiration for me."[13] On specific Lovecraft stories that inspired him, Oborn cited "The Music of Erich Zann" and "The Dreams in the Witch House", with their themes of the occult being carried into music through time signatures.[6] Oborn described the inspiration of the song "Dopethrone" as a story he had heard about someone who owned a couch made entirely of dope. "We Hate You" was inspired by Ozzy Osbourne, whom Oborn described as "always going about how much he fucking loved everyone, so we thought it would be great to go and do the opposite."[3]
Release
Dopethrone was released on 25 September 2000 by Rise Above Records.[14]The Music Cartel released the album in the United States via mail order on 20 November 2000. It became available in retail shops in January 2001.[15] The album was reissued in 2004;[16] this version included the bonus track "Mind Transferal".[17] The 2004 reissue of the album also had the track "Dopethrone" edited down from 20 minutes to 10 minutes.[11] When asked about this edit in 2007, Oborn responded that he was unaware that the change had been made.[11]
Following the release of the album, Electric Wizard toured with the group Sons of Otis, initially in England starting on 27 September 2000, followed by shows across Europe, including Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The tour concluded with a final show in England on 22 October in Bradford.[18] Following the tour, Electric Wizard did their first tour of the United States, becoming the first band on the Rise Above Records label to tour the country.[19] The tour began on 4 March 2001, and it concluded on 8 April with a show at South by Southwest. On the tour, the band predominantly toured with Warhorse, while also performing shows with Bongzilla, Cathedral, and Converge.[20] On 7 March, the three members of Electric Wizard were searched and interrogated for possession of illegal substances in Richmond, Virginia.[19] Erik Larson of Alabama Thunderpussy, who were also performing that day, was able to assist the group in getting the police to drop the charges. The band's American label, The Music Cartel, responded to the event, stating that "with a band like Electric Wizard something like this happening wasn't very far off the mark. I just hope nothing worse happens before the tour is completed."[19] Bagshaw reflected on their American tour as like serving in the Vietnam War, saying that it "strengthened their armor".[11] Greening said that the tour "seemed like a good laugh" but that the group was "young at the time [...] at times it was soul destroying."[11] Oborn commented more positively on it, expressing his excitement about touring the United States and "staying at great hotels, being treated like kings", while noting that the group had still argued a lot while on tour.[11]
Dopethrone received positive reviews from CMJ New Music Monthly, Exclaim!, AllMusic, and The Chicago Sun-Times.[30][21][30][10] Palmerston of Exclaim! and Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic found the album was so strong and high-quality that it had set a standard of the genre.[21][30] Other reviewers felt the album had an over-the-top nature in terms of vocals and music. [9][10] DeRogatis said audiences might approach the album as being close to a Spinal Tap-like parody but felt that it did not negate the group from being "one of the most intense rock bands pounding the boards anywhere in this new millennium."[10] George Smith of the Village Voice also commented on the music, referring to it as a doom metal equivalent of the German beer Reinheitsgebot, declaring it "bitter and sulfuric to the point of unpalatability, but against which everything else seems watery."[31] In a more mixed review from Kerrang!, Mörat stated that although Dopethrone was "an aural landslide", there were "times when all [its] psychedelic sludgery drags on like a new ice age."[25]
Oborn initially said that he had not wanted to listen to the album for a long time and that he was unaware of how the album was received by critics or fans until he began touring to promote it.[4] Bagshaw commented on the album in 2007, saying that he did not care what others felt about the album.[4] Oborn commented in 2011 that he looked fondly on the album, calling Come My Fanatics… (1997), Supercoven (1998), and Dopethrone "the trilogy of terror", and saying that by the time they got to Dopethrone, that he knew what the group needed.[3] Anthony Bartkewicz of Decibel, in commenting on the album's legacy, said that it established doom metal formally as a lifestyle.[12]
Electric Wizard are an English stoner/doom metal band from Dorset. The band formed in 1993 and have recorded nine studio albums, two of which have been considered genre landmarks: Come My Fanatics… (1997) and Dopethrone (2000). 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 cannabis.
Rise Above Records is a London-based independent record label owned by Lee Dorrian, former member of Cathedral and Napalm Death.
Lee Robert Dorrian is an English singer, best known as a former member of grindcore band Napalm Death and later as frontman of doom metal band Cathedral. He is currently singing with Septic Tank and With the Dead.
Supercoven is a two song EP by the stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard. It was originally released on CD and 12" vinyl in 1998 through Bad Acid Records. In 2000 it was re-released on CD through Southern Lord Records with two extra songs.
Come My Fanatics… is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Electric Wizard. The album was released in January 1997 on Rise Above Records and was produced by Rolf Startin, Mike Hurst and band member Jus Oborn. It was the group's follow-up to their eponymous album Electric Wizard. Oborn described the release as a reaction to the music on the earlier album, which he had felt was not as heavy as he wanted the group to sound. The songs on Come My Fanatics… were described by Lee Dorrian, Rise Above Records owner, as breaking from the traditional doom metal style, with an unpolished and chaotic approach.
Let Us Prey is the fourth studio album by English stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard. It was released through Rise Above Records in 2002 and was the last album to feature Electric Wizard's original line-up. After its release, Tim Bagshaw and Mark Greening went on to form Ramesses.
We Live is the fifth studio album by English stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard, released in 2004. It is the first recorded material with the band's second line-up. Due to the addition of second guitarist Liz Buckingham, the songs are more complex than their previous work.
Electric Wizard is the debut studio album by English stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard released in 1994 through Rise Above Records and re-released bundled with their second album, Come My Fanatics... in 1999. A remastered version was then released on CD and LP in 2006, with two bonus tracks, taken from a demo entitled Doom Chapter.
Pre-Electric Wizard 1989–1994 is a compilation album featuring songs by Electric Wizard frontman Jus Oborn's previous band Eternal, formerly known as Lord of Putrefaction and Thy Grief Eternal. The album was released in 2006 and includes material taken from Eternal's demo Lucifer's Children (1993), Thy Grief Eternal's demo On Blackened Wings (1992), and the Lord of Putrefaction / Mortal Remains split LP (1991).
Chrono.Naut is an EP by the stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard. It was originally released on LP in 1997 through Man's Ruin Records. It was then re-released on CD later that year as a split with Orange Goblin. The re-release features different artwork and the two songs bridged together.
Moss was a three-piece English doom metal band that formed in 2001. Influenced by H. P. Lovecraft and the occult, songs usually average the 2.0 minute mark and incorporate dense and otherworldly atmospheres. Despite the use of extreme bass frequencies, Moss features no bass guitarist.
Witchcult Today is the sixth studio album by English stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard, released on 20 November 2007.
Electric Wizard/Our Haunted Kingdom is a split-single released by the English stoner metal bands Electric Wizard and Our Haunted Kingdom, the latter of which changed their name to Orange Goblin after this release. It was released during 1996 on 7" vinyl through Rise Above Records.
Justin Oborn, better known by his stage name Jus Oborn is a British musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist of Electric Wizard, an English doom metal band from Dorset, which Oborn co-founded in 1993. Prior to forming Electric Wizard, he was a member of doom metal band Lord of Putrefaction, which changed its name to Thy Grief Eternal and then to Eternal.
Unearthly Trance is a sludge metal/doom metal trio from Long Island composed of guitarist-vocalist Ryan Lipynsky, bassist Jay Newman, and drummer Darren Verni. They were formed in 2000 and have released material on leading labels of the genre like Southern Lord, Rise Above Records and Relapse Records to which they are still signed today. They are also considered by critics one of the leading acts in the doom metal scene and shared tours with notable bands such as Sunn O))), Pelican, Electric Wizard, The Melvins and Morbid Angel. Their fifth album, V, was released by Relapse Records on September 27, 2011, and was produced by Sanford Parker, leader of fellow Relapse label mates and post-metal experimentalists Minsk. Ryan Lipynsky also fronts the black metal act The Howling Wind and experimental hardcore unit Pollution. All three members played in Serpentine Path with Tim Bagshaw, formerly of Electric Wizard and Ramesses.
Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sleep.
Black Masses is the seventh studio album by English stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard, released 1 November 2010. It is the band's only album to feature bassist Tas Danazoglou.
With the Dead are an English doom metal supergroup founded in 2014 by Tim Bagshaw, Mark Greening and Lee Dorrian.
Wizard Bloody Wizard is the ninth studio album by English stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard, released on 17 November 2017, three years after their previous album Time to Die. Recording took place from April 2016 to February 2017 at the Satyr IX Recording Studios with production duties on the album shared between lead singer Jus Oborn and guitarist Liz Buckingham. Though some music critics noted an overall change in the band's sound from their usual doom formula towards a slightly more hard rock approach, the album received generally favourable reviews. With a running time of 43 minutes and consisting of only six songs, Wizard Bloody Wizard is the band's shortest studio album to date.
Satan's Satyrs are an American band originally formed in 2009 in Virginia by lead vocalist and bassist Clayton Burgess. The band's lineup as of 2016 included Burgess, Jarrett Nettnin, Stephen Fairfield and Nate Towle. Originally influenced by groups such as Electric Wizard and Black Flag, Burgess mailed a demo tape to Electric Wizard and recorded their first album Wild Beyond Belief, which began with Burgess performing all the instruments while still being attending high school. The group began their follow-up album Die Screaming and were invited by Jus Oborn of Electric Wizard to perform at the Roadburn Festival in 2013. Burgess was then offered to join Electric Wizard in 2014 which he accepted. The group has recorded two follow-up albums since along with a split EP with Windhand which charted in Billboard's Top Heatseekers charts.
↑ Mikkelson 2009, p.46."The fact an album released at the turn of the century has found itself in the position of album of the decade is testament to the impact of this doom metal masterpiece [...] While [their] self-titled debut album saw them dip their toes into the pool of Sabbathian riffs and 'Come My Fanatics' hammered in the foundations of their sound like a meteorite hitting a bong factory, 'Dopethrone' remains the crowning achievement, the fullest embodiment of all that is [Electric] Wizard."
↑ Dopethrone [2000 liner notes] (Media notes). Electric Wizard. Rise Above Records. CDRISE 27.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ Dopethrone [2006 liner notes] (Media notes). Electric Wizard. Rise Above Records. RISECD073.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Bartkewicz, Anthony (September 2007). "The Doom That Came to Dorset: The Making of Electric Wizard's Dopethrone". Decibel. No.35. ISSN1550-6614.
Bartkewicz, Anthony (November 2014). "The Top 100 Doom Metal Albums of All Time". Decibel Presents the Top 100 Doom Metal Albums of All Time. Red Flag Media, Inc. ISSN1550-6614.
Green, Nick (September 2007). "Top 20 Stoner Rock Albums of All Time". Decibel. No.35. Red Flag Media, Inc. ISSN1550-6614.
Green, Nick (December 2009). "Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade". Decibel Presents the Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade. Red Flag Media, Inc. ISSN1550-6614.
Griffiths, Nick (November 2000). "Reviews: Rock". Rock Sound. No.18. Freeway Press. p.85.
Mikkelson, Jill (December 2009). "Critical Mass: Terrorizer Critics' Albums of the Decade". Terrorizer's Secret History (The Decade). No.2. UK: Dark Arts Ltd.
Mörat (7 October 2000). "Albums". Kerrang!. No.822. EMAP. p.46.
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