Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Stoner Smarts...


Black Wizard - Young Wisdom (2013)


Now that summer is upon us, there is nothing better than to pour yourself a stiff drink, crank the stereo up and enjoy some ass-kicking metal from the comfort of your porch. If that fails to make you have a good time, then smoke some really good weed and play Black Wizard's latest album over and over. Nothing short of excellent, Young Wisdom is by far one of the best albums I have heard yet in 2013, boasting an impressive collection of stoner rock that will quickly find its place amongst notable acts such as The Sword and Priestess.
Littered with underpinnings of late 70's rock and psychedelic, Young Wisdom outdoes itself as each track progresses, providing ambitious, spacey melodies that instantly remind one of Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, but that also transform almost as quickly into something resembling the soundtrack of a soul leaving the body. Flowing yet tough guitars accelerate while wailing vocals move the tracks in a hazy harmony that translates into pure fucking rock that truly blows the mind. A confident smattering of drums and not-too-tuned-down bass further deepen the complexities of Black Wizard's efforts, creating an almost sun-drenched sound that stands out at just the right points.
Opening track "Spacer" is masterful in revealing how talented the band is, using their heavy-handed brand of rock over a 6-minute period that never once creates an air of boredom or laziness that lengthier songs can easily fall into at their midways. The album's title track received multiple listens (even as I wrote this) because I couldn't get enough of the blasting solos that continuously caused me to jump into a fit of hand-cramping air guitar.
Bottom line: Keep an eye out for this when it drops June 28. Prepare to provide your earholes with some of the best goddamn metal to date from our northern neighbors (sorry, rest of the world, I'm writing this from an American perspective).
~Joe

For Fans Of; The Sword, Orange Goblin, Witchcraft, Pentagram, Thunderfist

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