Saturday 7 January 2017

Lizzard Wizzard - Total War Power Bastard (Album Review)


Release date: January 01st 2017. Label: Self Released Format: DD

Total War Power Bastard – Tracklisting

1.THREAT LEVEL DEMON 05:04
2.DADFATHER 07:02
3.NERD SMASHER 03:34
4.SHITHEAD NIHILISM 08:41
5.PIZZA 06:25
6.SNAKE ARROW 07:01
7.MEDUSA BUT SHE GETS YOU STONED INSTEAD OF TURNING YOU TO STONE INSTEAD OF SNAKES SHE HAS VAPORIZERS ON HIS HEAD...DRUGS 04:49
8.CRYSTAL BALLS 05:58
9.MEGAFLORA 08:26


Band Members

Luke Osborne, Michael Clarke, Nick McKeon and Stef Roselli

Review

Lizzard Wizzard return after a 3 year absence with their new album – Total War Power Bastard. A heavy Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal experience that is inspired by bands such as Black Sabbath, Mastodon and High On Fire. This is a different sounding Lizzard Wizzard compared to their debut album. As the guys have more fire in their belly. The vocals are harsher, louder and more angrier. It's a welcome return as opening track – Threat Level Doom – more than lives up to it's name. The band have a pissed off swagger with doomy/sludge based riffs where the key is DISTORTION.

This album crackles with violent fuzz with glimpses of an early Black Sabbath sound that continues on tracks such as Dadfather, Nerdsmasher and Shithead Nihilism. You can tell by the song titles that Lizzard Wizzard have a very wry sense of humour and by the lyrics they have written. Though the album does hold a bleak sense of doom throughout the album.

My favourite track has to be Pizza as Lizzard Wizzard venture into Drone Rock style sounds. It has a certain Torche vibe to it at times. I must stress that Lizzard Wizzard do create hugely entertaining riffs and noises of their own. The vocals are loud and ferocious throughout the album.

The final stages of the album sees Lizzard Wizzard blend their familiar Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs with a more distorted fuzzier sound. The final two tracks – Crystal Balls and Megaflora – are perhaps the heaviest moments on the album as even though this album is on for 57 mins or so. The album leaves you wanting more. A sign of a great album in my humble opinion. The production is handled superbly well as it allows Lizzard Wizzard to create as much violent noise they possibly can.

Total War Power Bastard is a much better album than their debut album and I'm a huge fan of that record. Total War Power Bastard has a broader scope with better songwriting and production. I hope this album makes it's way onto the monthly Doom Charts and stay there for a very long time. If you want an album packed full of riffs and leave you bloodied, battered and bruised then Total War Power Bastard is the album for you.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

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