VS: Masters of Another Reality
Artwork by Dagus W
In a new edition of VS, we are gonna get lost in the hazy, fuzzy, smoky haze of stoner metal. A genre spawned by the origins of Black Sabbath's third album Master of Reality. A sound heavy on fuzzy and distorted guitar and bass, doomy, snail-like drums and wailing belting to the rafters cleans or guttural growl vocals soaked in melancholy or deep reflection. One band, who with their third album, had many fans and critics citing it as the defining record of the stoner metal scene. The other, a band that would release an album of one fifty plus minute long song that would be one of the most influential records in the genre. Still be cited as a stoner metal classic and quintessential release for the scene.
In this smoky corner, we have Electric Wizard with the band's third album Dopethrone, released in 2000. Vocalist Jus Oborn has stated that due to ongoing drug issues, along with personal problems inside and outside of the band, led to the album being a difficult record to write and record. A hybrid of Sabbath, with elements of Motörhead, the album would become the band's biggest and well-known album. Creating that heavily distorted, bass heavy sound that would become a staple of the genre, as well as an homage to the origins of the genre.
The album opens with the track "Vinum Sabbathi". With heavy, pounding bass by Tim Bagshaw, drummer Mark Greening adds a nice, groovy drum pattern. Jus Oborn's vocals are soaked in reverb and buried in the mix. Creating an "rough demo" kind of mix with his vocals. Fitting the downtrodden feel of the bass and guitars throughout the track. A little over three minutes, it sets the stage for a dark and hazy record ahead with no sign of hope.
"Funeralopolis" continues the uneasy, hopeless feeling with the opening bass. The pace slows to a dirge-like crawl in the opening moments. Amidst the coughing buried in the mix, combined with bong hits. Underneath the bass and guitar, the music brings forward a funeral doom dirge-esque pacing. Then, the song rises from the depths with a heavy, ringing and thundering bass and guitar combo. Soaked in reverb and fuzz, as the drums pick up the pacing as well. Oborn's vocals are a little louder and more intelligible, with a combination of singing and almost shouting vocal delivery as the bass thumps beneath him. Oborn begins to lose it vocally at the halfway mark, with more shouting, transforming into a chaotic and manic delivery in his singing as the riff begins to mutate and hang in the feedback with the song's tempo. The song hits all the marks of the stoner/doom metal genre. Bass heavy leads, distorted fuzz guitars and a nice, simple but bouncy drum section. It's almost Stoner Metal 101.
Next is the fifteen minute piece called "Weird Tales". Opening with commanding bass and drums, the song instantly had me banging my head along with every snare hit. A sonic journey of so many sections and layers throughout the piece. Diverse pacing and driving bass by Bagshaw being the main pulse of the song. Acting as the driving pulse of the song. Oborn's vocals are complex, with some moments he is almost clean singing, some would even say crooning. Before transforming into harsh, jagged shouting. Amplified by the mix of his vocals on the album. Greening has more to do on the song with more fills and loud cymbal strikes throughout. Making him more noticeable compared to the rest of the album so far. There is a nice atmospheric, almost guitar dueling/distortion effect, at the five-minute mark that I dug. Creating an ambience and an almost interlude interpretation, interspersed between this whole stoner concerto. Such a progressive, entertaining and overall classic track from the band. On "Barbarian", the pummeling bass is toned down. Vocals are boosted on the track as it seems the production is not as muddy. I love the rhythm and groove of the riff. Oborn & Bagshaw are so good at creating a sludgy, but catchy ear-worm like riff and atmospheric effect. It's almost hypnotic at some points. I can see the influence of drone music of artists like Sunn O))) and Earth could have taken with this album. With the band's wailing and grinding feedback wall of fuzz and distortion. Along with the simplicity of the music at some points, just letting the distortion hang in the miasma of the track.
"I, The Witchfinder" opens with a wailing distortion wall of fuzz, guitar bends and reverb. With a rising, gurgling bass underneath, the drums join in with caveman/tribal like drum strikes until the drums create the rhythm of the track. The funeral doom-like dirge of the track really builds a feeling of dread, depression and sorrow as feedback hangs in the ether of the mix. As the drums and guitar lead the listener on this eleven minute track. As Oborn's vocals kick in around the 3 minute mark. With peaks and valleys, the song cascades from unhinged vocals by Oborn and sped up pacing, before descending into a wailing and ominous tone of ringing bass and amp feedback. After the short instrumental interlude "The Hills Have Eyes", we get the track "We Hate You". Bagshaw's booming bass rings heavy and hard, as the drums just get overshadowed by the unrelenting bass and ringing guitar by Oborn. His vocals return to being buried in the mix, hiding and showcasing his sorrowful and angry vocals throughout. I do like the atmospheric guitar solo around the two minute mark, forming a nice musical transition between the verses. I am surprisingly getting Melvins vibes, and I'm not sure why, but the song has a nice stoner/sludge like tone and seems to be less atmospheric and more straightforward then the rest of the album. The album closes with the title track. A twenty minute crescendo to this stoner metal classic. Grinding and fuzz-heavy guitar opens with a pounding kick/tom drum combo, as the bass pushes itself as this grand finale begins. Oborn's vocals sway and groove with the cadence of the bass, as the bass is just ringing in my speakers throughout the song. A strong and grand closer to a classic that peaks above the haze as one of stoner metal's best albums.
In the opposite corner and emerging from the sludgy depths, we have stoner metal legends Sleep with the band's third album Jerusalem. Consisting of one fifty two minute song, the song would be the band's magnum opus. An audio journey of distortion, progressive metal style tempo changes and pacing, and a release that was unheard of at the time of release. Showing the band pushing the genre musically into new, murky and uncharted directions. Releasing what many have claimed as the best stoner metal album/track of all time.
*NOTE: Though the song is meant to be played as one solid piece, the album was broken into parts per the label, so that will be the copy I am reviewing for this VS. Also, I would not feel comfortable posting the entire uncut fifty five minute song on the site. Potentially getting into copyright problems, plus it would be a boring review to give you time codes."
Opening is "Jerusalem, Part 1". With a rising and droning guitar by Matt Pike, instantly reminding me of Sunn O))) in it's guitar tone and play style. Minimalistic and wailing distortion, it fills the space of the mix. The guitar gets doubled and amplified, really reverbing the playing and adding to the distortion wall and reverb effect. Bassist and vocalist Al Cisneros and drummer Chris Hakius rise from the depths and join Pike's wall of distortion and the track begins to form a rhythm amongst the ambience. A slow burn, with the riff being repetitive, but having a melancholic and heavy groove to it. With Pike's guitar leading more of a charge, compared to their opponent's bass heavy charge. Vocals finally kick in at the seven and a half-minute mark of this nine minute opener. With Cisneros' deep wails echoing through the heavy bass and guitar in the production. "Jerusalem, Part 2" starts with simple guitar strums, soaked in reverb and distortion into a nice string bend. Hakius' drums hit higher in the mix. With cymbal strikes cutting hard and harsh, through the wall of guitar and bass. Pike showcases a nice guitar solo around the minute and a half mark, especially with the guitar layering. Creating a cool, 70's sounding dueling effect in his playing and the production of this section. Letting Pike really plays guitar god for soloing for a good minute and a half, before being cut off by Cisneros. The song returns to the droning heavy sound after the short addition of vocals, forming a trance-like effect that would probably hit like a ton of bricks if you were high. Cisneros does come back vocally around the six minute mark one last time, but his vocals are short again. I kind of wish it was just an entire instrumental piece, but I don't know if his vocals are added to help keep time or break the sections of the piece up.
"Jerusalem, Part 3" begins with a similar opening to "Part 2". Simple strumming with layered distortion. Hakius gets little drum fills in the opening of the track as the vocals begin to kick in. Cisneros continues to deliver his bellowing vocals through the feedback wall. Almost in a chanting delivery that is emphasized by the music underneath him. I can see the influence and direction the band Om took from this song. With chanting vocals, and the simplicity of the music and ambience. I love the song's almost symphonic structuring, of peaks and valleys throughout each of the parts. Building up and easing down the listener throughout the chuggy, doomy parts to calming them with breaks of strumming and feedback. The pace opens a little faster on the guitar with the opening of "Jerusalem, Part 4". Hakius gets a nice drum build along with the guitars, before Cisneros' bass joins in for the start of this passage. Cisneros' yell of the word “Golgotha” over the ringing bass and guitar just hits me every time with goosebumps. His vocals are more common on this track, compared to the rest of the sections. With him singing more lyrics, instead of just one or two words extended out. Pike again gets to solo at the three and half minute mark, channeling Iommi in its bluesy, doomy style solo, but soaked in effects. We get more trippy and effect-heavy sounds at the six minute mark. As the whole band drops out for the effects to really shine, giving the listener a reprieve from the punishingly heavy bass and guitars. Hakius' drums begin to show up with a simple drum pattern, buried underneath the effects of the track. Almost fading in and out as Cisneros' bass does the same thing as well. Then the heaviness comes roaring back right before the eight minute mark for the remainder of the section's runtime.
"Jerusalem, Part 5" starts off just like the other openers. I'm starting to think it is the chance for the listener to ground themselves before we go onto the next movement. The drums give a nice groove and slow headbang feel. Pike's guitar rings prominently, with Cisneros' bass not far behind. I love the ringing bass through Pike's guitar solo. Showing a strong rhythm section between Cisneros & Hakius, while Pike delivers an emotional, low-and-slow guitar solo with the rhythm section behind him. Definitely a shorter track compared to the other songs on the album. Channeling that Sabbath-like bluesy, downtrodden and dark tone in the sound of the guitars. The album's closer and final piece is "Jerusalem, Part 6". The drums start the piece off mid-tempo and driving, while guitars and bass ring in the atmosphere. Cisneros' chanting vocals, corresponding with the ringing guitars and bass. Giving off a religious sermon-esque visual. As I picture him leading his flock on a grand stage of sonic enlightment. The amplitude of the song gets louder and heavier at the halfway mark, pushing the band to go for the gusto in the album's grand closer. A heavy and intense journey if you made it through the entire one piece runtime, and a true audio adventure in the genre.
Artwork by Thomas Bokler
After coming down from my high, which album stands on top of the stoner mountain as the better album? In my opinion, this was a tough challenge to do musically and was definitely hard to judge. Like how do you judge a normal album compared to a single, almost hour long track? After listening to both of these albums, I would declare Sleep's Jerusalem as the winner. It was an intense and progressive journey that pushed the genre and heavy metal itself. Dopethrone was a good solid stoner metal album, but I think with Sleep leaning more towards progressive elements in their record, I think Electric Wizard's songs were almost way too similar or rather repetitive or not different enough to distinguish the songs from each other except for song lengths. I still love the record and the legendary album cover is iconic and is in my top 5 for best stoner metal albums of all time. But Sleep is higher up on that top 5, and the winner of this matchup.
