Band:	The Wizar'd
Album:	Subterranean Exile
Style:	Epic doom metal
Release date:	April 24, 2020
A review by:	nikarg

01. Subterranean Exile
02. Wizard's Revenge
03. Master Of The Night
04. Ecstatic Visions Held Within The Monastic Tower
05. Long Live The Dead
06. Evil in My Heart
07. Dark Forces

Forgive me if my knowledge of Tasmania is restricted to the local devil - and I have to admit that this knowledge originates from a cartoon - but I am now redeeming myself by presenting you some good ol' occult heavy/doom originating from there.

The Wizar'd is the band of Will Fried, or Ol' Rusty Vintage Wizard Master, who is a local heavy metal hero leading a few other projects, such as Dracula and Tarot, but we can assume that The Wizar'd is his main band since they have been around for longer and Subterranean Exile is their fourth full-length.

This LP comes seven whole years after Ancient Tome Of Arcane Knowledge, which was really the record where they proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the music realm of dark, brooding and arcane heavy/doom. Subterranean Exile is a continuation of that release and even tops it, putting it among my most played albums of the year so far. The plan for it was to be an EP that should have been released long ago but that didn't happen and I am not complaining. It may have taken them a very long time to put out something new but I am all for bands staying silent until they have something worthy to say.

Subterranean Exile is mixing the sound of Pagan Altar, Witchfinder General, and Manilla Road, with the songs being based on fundamental heavy/doom riffs and NWOBHM-era lead guitar melodies. The vocals are now an even more nasal version of Terry Jones and remind me of Scott Reagers's theatricality at times; most importantly, they add to the occultism that the music exudes, often following what the guitars do and acting as an extra instrument. The album features seven tracks and clocks in at 35 minutes, and, with the presence of only one instrumental interlude in the middle, it is evident that the band's approach is that time is of essence and shouldn't be wasted.

Despite the fact that this is a no-frills release and the atmospherics are kept to a minimum, the atmosphere is compelling, nefarious and mystical. The band has also evolved a lot compared to the earlier recordings where the music was much simpler and more primitive. It is not that The Wizar'd now play the most complex stuff out there, since this is still traditional metal of the fairly minimal kind, but I love how the riffs sound like black horses galloping on cobbled paths in the dead of night and how the solos act as incantations conjuring up evil spirits under the twilight, serving the hand of doom that beckons. The production of Subterranean Exile is totally retro and organic and it makes the record feel like there is life in it; this is definitely not just a product of machines and knobs and buttons.

Highly recommended for devoted fans of demons' myths and blasphemous forces.

"Hear my word
I have returned
Blessed night
Perform the rite"