The oblivion and ecstasy of crushing doom and high grade marijuana, a sonic aural trip far, far away from this world, where only cyclopean walls of crackling vintage tube amps in full overdrive and primal ritualistic beats can wash away all the filth and drudgery of everyday life. Their music can be described as Doom Metal. Their sound is a crushing behemoth of funeral march psychedelia. Violent, bleak and ritualistic.
Born in Dorset, England in 1993, in a quiet country town, initially they were the product of frustration, unemployment and excessive drug abuse. But through hallucinogenic experimentation and occult sciences they realized their true potential. A celebration of outre low brow art like Weird Tales, 70's horror and B-movies, head shop art, drug comix, italian pornohorror comics, Crepax, Lovecraft, Howard etc. etc...coupled with a morbid fascination in cults, witchcraft, freemasonry, biker culture, mysticism and ancient occult sciences and how these dark arts can be applied to music.
Their history actually starts in 1988 when Justin Oborn created a doom-influenced death metal band called Lord of Putrefaction. The above mentioned band released only several demos but it showed the unique talent of Justin Oborn in the art of creating heavy slow riffs. In 1992 Lord of Putrefaction disbanded and Justin Oborn started another band called Thy Grief Eternal which moved more towards the doom metal genre though still it had significant death metal influence.The music was more refined and mature. Then in 1993 Thy Grief Eternal was disbanded and the band Eternal was crated. This band played pure stoner doom though the quality can't even come close to the next and the last band in this history, Electric Wizard. Mark Greening left Ramesses to re-join the band in late 2012.
Discography so far:
1995 - Electric Wizard
1996 - Split EP with Our Haunted Kingdom
1997 - Come My Fanatics...
1997 - Chrono.Naut Split EP with Orange Goblin
1998 - Supercoven EP
1999 - Come My Fanatics.../Electric Wizard Re-release/previously unreleased mix
2000 - Supercoven EP Re-release with extra tracks
2000 - Dopethrone
2002 - Let Us Prey
2004 - Dopethrone Re-release with bonus track
2004 - We Live
2007 - Witchcult Today
2008 - Split 12" with Reverend Bizarre
2008 - The Processean EP
2010 - Black Masses
2013 - Legalise Drugs & Murder EP
2014 - Time to Die
2017 - Wizard Bloody Wizard
2021 - L.S.D. Single
Line-up:
Jus Oborn - Vocals, Guitar
Haz Wheaton - Bass
Liz Buckingham - Guitar
Simon Poole - Drums
Former Members:
Rob Al-Issa - Bass
Justin Greaves - Drums
Tim Bagshaw - Bass
Tas Danazoglou - Bass
Glenn Charman - Bass
Shaun Rutter - Drums
Mark Greening - Drums
http://www.facebook.com/electricwizarddorsetdoom
Vinum Sabbathi
Electric Wizard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[ways you can get out. One, is death; the other, is mental institutions."]
Extracted essence of the stone
Narcotic of the faceless ones
I awake on planet black
Freezing moon, no turning back
Vinum Sabbathi
Now I'm a slave to the black drug
Forced to serve this black god
I thought myself a master of the arts
This dimension of misery is my penance
Forbidden sorcery
Vinum Sabbathi
Forbidden sorcery
Vinum Sabbathi
Forbidden sorcery
Vinum Sabbathi
Forbidden sorcery
Vinum Sabbathi
Forbidden sorcery
Vinum Sabbathi
Forbidden sorcery
Vinum Sabbathi
Forbidden sorcery
Vinum Sabbathi
The lyrics to Electric Wizard's song Vinum Sabbathi are steeped in occult themes and references to black magic. The opening sample states that once you are part of a certain group, there's only death or a mental institution awaiting you, setting the tone for the dark journey the song takes the listener on. The lyrics speak of the "extracted essence of the stone," which is a reference to the idea of finding the philosopher's stone, a mythical substance thought to confer immortality and great power. The "narcotic of the faceless ones" could refer to a hallucinogenic drug that grants access to otherworldly planes of existence.
The singer wakes up on a planet that seems devoid of life, except for the "black drug" that has enslaved him. He thought himself a master of the arts, but is now forced to serve a black god and suffer in this dimension of misery as his penance. The repeated refrain of "Forbidden sorcery, Vinum Sabbathi" emphasizes the idea of forbidden knowledge and practices that lead to a path of darkness and enslavement.
Overall, the lyrics seem to suggest that the pursuit of power through occult means can come at a great cost, and the consequences of dabbling in forbidden knowledge can lead to a kind of eternal servitude to dark forces.
Line by Line Meaning
Extracted essence of the stone
Referring to the process of extracting the essence of the mystical stone, possibly in order to create a powerful drug.
Narcotic of the faceless ones
The drug created from the essence of the stone is a powerful narcotic that causes the user to lose their identity and become faceless.
I awake on planet black
The singer has been transported to a dark and foreboding world that feels like a nightmare.
Freezing moon, no turning back
The artist is trapped in this dark world, with no hope of escape.
Forbidden sorcery
The process of creating the black drug is seen as forbidden sorcery, something that should not be done.
Vinum Sabbathi
The name of the powerful drug created from the forbidden sorcery.
Now I'm a slave to the black drug
The singer has become addicted to the powerful drug, and is now a slave to its effects.
Forced to serve this black god
The drug is personified as a black god, and the artist is now forced to serve it, sacrificing everything for its effects.
I thought myself a master of the arts
Before becoming addicted to the drug, the artist was confident in their artistic abilities and felt like a master of their craft.
This dimension of misery is my penance
The dark world the artist is trapped in, and the addiction to the black drug, is seen as a punishment for their previous hubris and overconfidence.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JUSTIN OSBORNE, MARK GREENING, TIM BAGSHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind