Red Wizard - Cosmosis (2016)
Red Wizard are a Satanic-themed band of five disciples, as they like to be called, consisting of Travis Baucum on vocals and harmonica, Miles Von Ricketson on lead guitar, Casey Lamontagne on guitar, David Wilburn on bass and Shane Kepler on drums, all five hailing from San Diego, California. Their first release, a self-titled EP linked below and released in 2014, is a stellar beginning, but here on their debut LP, Cosmosis, they have created a signature heavy psyched-out, stoner, doomy tale of hate and destruction.
Starting out, we have "Tides of War" with a
pummeling bass chord with lyrics that hold me in every word about
following about a pact to meet in the promised land to obtain control over
the landscape. Thus begins, now I know some bands hate this, but, a
classic stoner concept album about a deal with some nefarious power and
how that builds and builds until the bitter end. Reading the second
track "Temple of Tennitus" sent a smile over my face. As a frequenter or
many metal shows I can tell you first hand 'tinnitus' is something that
crosses my mind when certain amplifiers, namely Maverick or Sunn O)),
are anywhere to be seen, and this song strums almost attempting to leave
the listener with a ringing in their ears that last for days. The track
"Cosmosis" is my personal favorite. It begins with gnarly chords
made for head-banging glory, and then quickly begins an amazing groove.
The whole track is a perfect mix of all of the band's talents with enough
to keep me on the edge of my seat for the entire ten minutes of slow
tension-filled doom. The final three songs are woven together as "The
Red Wizard Suite Parts 1, 2, and 3". Part 1 howls with a tale of
supernatural murder where Satan is called upon by our antagonist to lay
to rest any unwise enough to fight against him. Part 2 is the instrumental
track to flow brilliantly into Part 3, where complete power is obtained
with lyrics pleading for anyone to run and hide to avoid a merciless death
by our Red Wizard. Hell has been brought to earth in this record, a
bloody treat filled with threats of a promise that will be
fulfilled.
One more thing I have to mention is the cover art
that is the epitome of what wizard rock should look like and what you're
in for.
~Richard
For Fans Of: Electric Wizard, Merlin, Sleep, Black Sabbath, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats
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