Photo and story by Allison Borrell / Contributing Writer
English doom metal band Electric Wizard and sludge metal outfit Oryx of Denver, Colorado, brought their droning riffs to Nashville’s Marathon Music Works Thursday night.
Kicking off the night at 8 p.m., supporting act Oryx set the tone with their intense, nihilistic sound, leaving the crowd primed and ready when Electric Wizard took the stage at 9:30.
Although heavy rain and a long line to get into the venue had some people feeling disgruntled before the show, that attitude changed the second they joined the crowd inside. For a metal show, the energy felt lighthearted, and the moment Electric Wizard kicked off their set with “Witchcult Today,” a fan favorite from the 2007 album of the same name, that energy could be felt throughout the room.
The band’s nine-song setlist was a well-rounded mashup of songs from several albums throughout their discography, and the crowd seemed to appreciate that. Electric Wizard had something for everyone, from old-school fans who worship their magnum opus, the 2000 album “Dopethrone,” to newcomers who are familiar with their most recent album, the 2017 “Wizard Bloody Wizard.”
While vocalist Jus Oborn’s fierce and tortured voice is a lot of what makes up Electric Wizard’s sound, it was the instrumentals that were at the forefront. Heavy bass and droning guitar work overtook the space during their set, and the reverberations could be felt from every direction.
As the night droned on, they hit fans with well-received songs like “Black Mass,” “See You in Hell” and “Satanic Rites of Drugula.”
However, their intense sound wasn’t the only thing keeping the crowd’s eyes locked on the stage. Unlike a lot of metal shows, Electric Wizard’s was very visual. Throughout the night, the screen behind them was keeping people’s attention with colorful, psychedelic illustrations resembling lava lamps and kaleidoscopes, while sprinkling in obscure horror movie scenes and occult-like clips to speak to the content of their music’s lyrics.
As the night began to feel like it was winding down and drawing to a close, Electric Wizard brought it back by ending with their most popular song, “Funeralopolis,” a 10-minute force to be reckoned with from their album “Dopethrone.” As heads banged and bodies thrashed, the visuals moved with them, flashing video of an atomic bomb going off in between the manically pulsing psychedelic images. The strobe-like effect felt like a bad trip, but it was the kind that left you standing there, glassy-eyed, waiting for more.
Electric Wizard’s Nashville show was the last stop on a mini, six-date tour running from April 6 to April 18.
Electric Wizard’s music is available to stream or buy on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon.
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