Dopethrone

Following the release of their 1997 album Come My Fanatics..., Sean Palmerston of Exclaim! stated that Electric Wizard became "pretty much invisible".{{sfn|Palmerston|2001}} Vocalist and guitarist Jus Oborn claimed that the music "isn't pop music, where there's commercial pressure to deliver all the time. This is underground metal where, if you're lucky, you might sell one or two copies".{{sfn|Dome|2011}} Oborn felt that he was pressured by Lee Dorrian, the owner of Rise Above Records, to create a new album.{{sfn|Dome|2011}} Oborn stated the group all had "drug issues" between the releases of the two albums. Tim Bagshaw, the group's bassist, has said that he was arrested for breaking into a liquor store, and drummer Mark Greening fell off his motorcycle and broke his collarbone. Meanwhile, Oborn was arrested for setting fire to a Reliant Robin.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=75}} Oborn felt that the difficulties that the band's members experienced in the three years between studio albums were channeled into Dopethrone, and that creating the album was "such a difficult process that it kind of made [life] worse."{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=75}}

Oborn said that the group developed songs via jam sessions, which would occasionally lead to the creation of a song.{{sfn|Dome|2011}} Prior to entering the studio, only three tracks were written: "Dopethrone", "Funeralopolis", and "We Hate You".{{sfn|Dome|2011}} Bagshaw said that he wrote "quite a lot of the album", including writing "Vinum Sabbathi" in "about two minutes", along with "I, The Witchfinder", "Golgotha", and "We Hate You".{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=75}} The album's centrepiece, titled "Weird Tales", was created entirely within the studio.{{sfn|Dome|2011}} On discussing the track's multiple parts, Oborn later declared it "kind of stupid, like prog-rock or some shit."{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=78}} Greening's contribution was hearing what Bagshaw and Oborn had come up with and drumming to it.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=75}} The album was recorded at Chuckalumba Studios between May and June 2000. Prior to recording each song, Oborn indulged in both cannabis and cocaine; Bagshaw said that the group consumed "copious amounts of weed and booze".{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=76}}

Bagshaw and Greening described the recording sessions as mostly about "getting really stoned" and "quite good fun", respectively.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=77}} Oborn recalled that the initial recording sessions were about three or four days, with the mixing taking much longer as there were arguments among the group members.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=76–77}} Oborn argued with producer Rolf Startin about how the album should sound.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=77}} Two longer tracks, "Weird Tales" and "Dopethrone", were completed in their first and second takes, respectively. Oborn said that "back then we didn't have a way to cut it up and just redo one part."{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=75}} The track "Mind Transferal" was recorded during this session but only released later as a bonus track for Japanese releases of the album.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=77}}

Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said that unlike American stoner rock that drew from punk music, grunge, and heavy metal, the music on Dopethrone was more akin to early 1970s Black Sabbath and the music of Motörhead.{{sfn|Kot|2001}} Jim DeRogatis of The Chicago Sun-Times noted that the style was primarily known as stoner rock in the United States and "Doom" in the United Kingdom.{{cite news |newspaper=The Chicago Sun-Times |title=Electric Wizard Stays the Course |last=DeRogatis |first=Jim |author-link=Jim DeRogatis |date=7 December 2001 |page=5 NC |url=https://www.jimdero.com/News2001/LiveDec7Electric%20Wizard.html |access-date=29 May 2024 |via=jimdero.com}} Greening spoke in 2007 about the Electric Wizard albums he had worked on, saying that "I wanted something with louder drums. I always regret all the Electric Wizard releases, because the drums don't sound loud enough", and that Dopethrone did "not represent the sound I was trying to give off, as with all Electric Wizard releases."{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=77}} Oborn said that the other members of the group wanted to introduce elements of hip hop music and the sound of Nirvana.{{sfn|Dome|2011}} Oborn later recalled that Bagshaw had been "into some weird shit; he'd listen to Linkin Park and shit like that. Fucking shite. [...] They wanted to put scratching or some shit on one song, and I could've killed them."{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=79}}

Anthony Bartkewicz of Decibel commented that the Oborn's lyrics put Dopethrone more in line with death or black metal than Black Sabbath's "hippie-love brother sentiment".{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=71}} Oborn, who wrote all of the album's lyrics, spoke of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard as an influence on his own writing, specifically the atmosphere of Lovecraft's work and Howard's "attitude towards society, these anti-civilization rants. That was a big inspiration for me."{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=74–75}} On specific Lovecraft stories that inspired him, Oborn cited "The Music of Erich Zann" and "The Dreams in the Witch House", with their themes of the occult being carried into music through time signatures.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=76}} Oborn described the inspiration of the song "Dopethrone" as a story he had heard about someone who owned a couch made entirely of dope. "We Hate You" was inspired by Ozzy Osbourne, whom Oborn described as "always going about how much he fucking loved everyone, so we thought it would be great to go and do the opposite."{{sfn|Dome|2011}}

Dopethrone was released on 25 September 2000 by Rise Above Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.tyler.demon.co.uk/riseabove/bands/wizard.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001012032716/http://www.tyler.demon.co.uk/riseabove/bands/wizard.html|access-date=2 April 2022|title=Electric Wizard|publisher=Rise Above Records|archive-date=12 October 2000}} The Music Cartel released the album in the United States via mail order on 20 November 2000. It became available in retail shops in January 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.music-cartel.com/main.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001204160700/http://www.music-cartel.com/main.htm|title=Electric Wizard's 'Dopethrone' Coming to the U.S.!!|publisher=The Music Cartel|access-date=2 April 2022|archive-date=4 December 2000|date=8 November 2000}} The album was reissued in 2004;{{cite magazine|magazine=Music Week|date=7 August 2004|title=New Releases|page=30}} this version included the bonus track "Mind Transferal".{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041212032848fw_/http://www.riseaboverecords.com/news.asp|url=http://www.riseaboverecords.com/news.asp|access-date=2 April 2022|date=13 August 2004|publisher=Rise Above Records|title=13 August 2004 Big Black & Dopethrone Re-issues Now in St|archive-date=12 December 2004}} The 2004 reissue of the album also had the track "Dopethrone" edited down from 20 minutes to 10 minutes.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=79}} When asked about this edit in 2007, Oborn responded that he was unaware that the change had been made.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=79}}

Following the release of the album, Electric Wizard toured with the group Sons of Otis, initially in England starting on 27 September 2000, followed by shows across Europe, including Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The tour concluded with a final show in England on 22 October in Bradford.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001119082100/http://www.tyler.demon.co.uk/riseabove/news.html|title=Electric Wizard Tour Dates 2000 (With Sons of Otis)|access-date=2 April 2022|work=Rise Above Records|url=http://www.tyler.demon.co.uk/riseabove/news.html|archive-date=19 November 2000}} Following the tour, Electric Wizard did their first tour of the United States, becoming the first band on the Rise Above Records label to tour the country.{{cite web|url=http://www.riseaboverecords.com/archive/news2001.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020607171643/http://www.riseaboverecords.com/archive/news2001.html|archive-date=7 June 2002|title=Rise Above News|work=Rise Above Records|access-date=11 April 2022}} The tour began on 4 March 2001, and it concluded on 8 April with a show at South by Southwest. On the tour, the band predominantly toured with Warhorse, while also performing shows with Bongzilla, Cathedral, and Converge.{{cite web|url=http://www.riseaboverecords.com/electricwizard/usatour2001.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020211181123/http://www.riseaboverecords.com/electricwizard/usatour2001.html|archive-date=11 February 2002|title=Electric Wizard USA Tour 2001|work=Rise Above Records|access-date=11 April 2022}} On 7 March, the three members of Electric Wizard were searched and interrogated for possession of illegal substances in Richmond, Virginia. Erik Larson of Alabama Thunderpussy, who were also performing that day, was able to assist the group in getting the police to drop the charges. The band's American label, The Music Cartel, responded to the event, stating that "with a band like Electric Wizard something like this happening wasn't very far off the mark. I just hope nothing worse happens before the tour is completed." Bagshaw reflected on their American tour as like serving in the Vietnam War, saying that it "strengthened their armor".{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=79}} Greening said that the tour "seemed like a good laugh" but that the group was "young at the time [...] at times it was soul destroying."{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=79}} Oborn commented more positively on it, expressing his excitement about touring the United States and "staying at great hotels, being treated like kings", while noting that the group had still argued a lot while on tour.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=79}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{sfn|Rivadavia}}

| rev2 = Chicago Sun-Times

| rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}{{Cite web |last=DeRogatis |first=Jim |date=18 March 2001 |title=Sun-Times reviews look at what's new on the charts |url=https://www.jimdero.com/News2001/AlbumReviews2001.htm#Electric%20Wizard |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011014171509/http://www.jimdero.com:80/AlbumReviews2001.htm#Electric%20Wizard |archive-date=14 October 2001 |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |via=jimdero.com |id={{ProQuest|258687453}}}}

| rev3 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

| rev3score = 4/10{{sfn|Popoff|Perri|2011}}

| rev4 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{sfn|Larkin|2006}}

| rev5 = Kerrang!

| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{sfn|Mörat|2000}}

| rev6 = Metal Hammer

| rev6score = 8/10{{sfn|Bent|2000}}

| rev7 = Rock Hard

| rev7score = 8/10{{sfn|Rock Hard|2000}}

| rev8 = Rock Sound

| rev8score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{sfn|Griffiths|2000}}

| rev9 = Terrorizer

| rev9score = 9/10{{sfn|Mozaque|2000}}

}}

Dopethrone received positive reviews from CMJ New Music Monthly, Exclaim!, AllMusic, and The Chicago Sun-Times.{{sfn|Behrman|2001}}{{sfn|Rivadavia}}{{sfn|Behrman|2001}} Palmerston of Exclaim! and Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic found the album was so strong and high-quality that it had set a standard of the genre.{{sfn|Rivadavia}}{{sfn|Behrman|2001}} Other reviewers felt the album had an over-the-top nature in terms of vocals and music. {{sfn|Kot|2001}} DeRogatis said audiences might approach the album as being close to a Spinal Tap-like parody but felt that it did not negate the group from being "one of the most intense rock bands pounding the boards anywhere in this new millennium." George Smith of the Village Voice also commented on the music, referring to it as a doom metal equivalent of the German beer Reinheitsgebot, declaring it "bitter and sulfuric to the point of unpalatability, but against which everything else seems watery."{{sfn|Smith|2001}} In a more mixed review from Kerrang!, Mörat stated that although Dopethrone was "an aural landslide", there were "times when all [its] psychedelic sludgery drags on like a new ice age."{{sfn|Mörat|2000}}

Oborn initially said that he had not wanted to listen to the album for a long time and that he was unaware of how the album was received by critics or fans until he began touring to promote it.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=78}} Bagshaw commented on the album in 2007, saying that he did not care what others felt about the album.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=78}} Oborn commented in 2011 that he looked fondly on the album, calling Come My Fanatics… (1997), Supercoven (1998), and Dopethrone "the trilogy of terror", and saying that by the time they got to Dopethrone, that he knew what the group needed.{{sfn|Dome|2011}} Anthony Bartkewicz of Decibel, in commenting on the album's legacy, said that it established doom metal formally as a lifestyle.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=71}}

All songs performed by Electric Wizard. Lyrics by Jus Oborn.{{cite AV media notes |title=Dopethrone [liner notes]|others=Electric Wizard |publisher=Rise Above Records |id=RISELP073}}{{cite AV media notes |title=Dopethrone [2000 liner notes]|others=Electric Wizard |publisher=Rise Above Records |id=CDRISE 27}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Original Issue{{sfn|Rivadavia}}

| title1 = Vinum Sabbathi

| length1 = 3:06

| title2 = Funeralopolis

| length2 = 8:43

| title3 = Weird Tales"

• I. "Electric Frost"
• II. "Golgatha"
• III. "Altar of Melektaus

| length3 = 15:04

| title4 = Barbarian

| length4 = 6:29

| title5 = I, The Witchfinder

| length5 = 11:03

| title6 = The Hills Have Eyes

| length6 = 0:47

| title7 = We Hate You

| length7 = 5:08

| title8 = Dopethrone

| length8 = 20:48

| total_length = 71:08

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Remastered{{cite AV media notes |title=Dopethrone [2006 liner notes]|others=Electric Wizard |publisher=Rise Above Records |id=RISECD073}}

| title1 = Vinum Sabbathi

| length1 = 3:05

| title2 = Funeralopolis

| length2 = 8:43

| title3 = Weird Tales"

• I. "Electric Frost"
• II. "Golgatha"
• III. "Altar of Melektaus

| length3 = 15:04

| title4 = Barbarian

| length4 = 6:29

| title5 = I, The Witchfinder

| length5 = 11:04

| title6 = The Hills Have Eyes

| length6 = 0:46

| title7 = We Hate You

| length7 = 5:08

| title8 = Dopethrone

| length8 = 10:36

| title9 = Mind Transferal

| length9 = 14:56

| total_length = 75:51

}}

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the album. Extra details are from Decibel.{{sfn|Bartkewicz|2007|p=75}}

;Electric Wizard

• Jus Oborn – vocals, guitar, effects, lyrics, artwork, design
• Tim Bagshaw – bass, effects
• Mark Greening – drums

;Other credits

• Electric Wizard – performer and "deranger"
• Rolf Startin – mixing, producer
• Josh Stephen – assistant
• Hugh Gilmour – artwork, design, photography
• Tom Bagshaw – cover art

• 2000 in British music
• 2000 in heavy metal music

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite magazine |last=Anon. |date=January–February 2001 |title=Writers Poll 2000 |magazine=Terrorizer |publisher=Scantec Publishing Ltd |location=UK |pages=58–61 |issue=86}}
• {{cite magazine|magazine=Decibel|title=The Doom That Came to Dorset: The Making of Electric Wizard's Dopethrone|last=Bartkewicz|first=Anthony|date=September 2007|issue=35|issn=1550-6614}}
• {{cite magazine |magazine=Decibel Presents the Top 100 Doom Metal Albums of All Time |title=The Top 100 Doom Metal Albums of All Time |last=Bartkewicz |first=Anthony |date=November 2014 |issn=1550-6614 |publisher=Red Flag Media, Inc.}}
• {{cite magazine|magazine=CMJ New Music Monthly|title=Reviews|last=Behrman|first=Lorne|date=March 2001|page=66|issue=91|issn=1074-6978|publisher=CMJ Network, Inc.}}
• {{Cite magazine |last=Bent |first=Graham |date=October 2000 |title=Under the Hammer |magazine=Metal Hammer |location=UK |issue=79 |page=73}}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-electric-wizard-dopethrone |work=Louder |title=The Story Behind Electric Wizard: Dopethrone |last=Dome |first=Malcolm |author-link=Malcolm Dome |date=17 August 2011 |access-date=19 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622004913/https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-electric-wizard-dopethrone |archive-date=22 June 2018}}
• {{cite magazine |magazine=Decibel |publisher=Red Flag Media, Inc. |last=Green |first=Nick |title=Top 20 Stoner Rock Albums of All Time |date=September 2007 |issue=35 |issn=1550-6614}}
• {{cite magazine|magazine=Decibel Presents the Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade|last=Green|first=Nick|title=Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade|date=December 2009|issn=1550-6614|publisher=Red Flag Media, Inc.}}
• {{Cite magazine |last=Griffiths |first=Nick |date=November 2000 |title=Reviews: Rock |magazine=Rock Sound |publisher=Freeway Press |issue=18 |page=85}}
• {{cite news |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |title=Recordings |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot |date=25 March 2001 |page=14 |id={{ProQuest|419284089}}}}
• {{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |publisher=MUZE |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-19-531373-4 |editor-last=Larkin |editor-first=Colin |editor-link=Colin Larkin |edition=4th |volume=3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofpo0003unse_w1c2/page/250 251] |chapter=Electric Wizard}}
• {{cite magazine |last=Mikkelson |first=Jill |date=December 2009 |title=Critical Mass: Terrorizer Critics' Albums of the Decade |journal=Terrorizer's Secret History |type=The Decade |location=UK |publisher=Dark Arts Ltd |issue=2}}
• {{Cite magazine |author=Mörat |date=7 October 2000 |title=Albums |magazine=Kerrang! |publisher=EMAP |issue=822 |page=46}}
• {{Cite magazine |author=Mozaque |date=October 2000 |title=Selected & Dissected |magazine=Terrorizer |issue=83 |page=56 |issn=1350-6978}}
• {{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/electric_wizard-dopethrone|work=Exclaim!|title=Electric Wizard: Dopethrone|last=Palmerston|first=Sean|date=1 February 2001|access-date=18 January 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412111626/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/electric_wizard-dopethrone|archivedate=12 April 2020}}
• {{cite book |last1=Popoff |first1=Martin |author-link1=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 4: The '00s |last2=Perri |first2=David |publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=9781-926592-20-6 |location=Burlington, Ontario, Canada |page=149}}
• {{Cite web |date=17 October 2000 |title=Dopethrone |url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/electric-wizard-dopethrone |url-access=subscription |access-date=21 April 2024 |website=Rock Hard |type=Vol. 162|ref={{harvid|Rock Hard|2000}}}}
• {{cite news |last=Stewart-Panko |first=Kevin |date=17 August 2011 |title=Disposable Heroes: Electric Wizard's "Dopethrone" |url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2011/08/17/disposable-heroes-electric-wizard-s-dopethrone/ |work=Decibel |location=Philadelphia |publisher=Red Flag Media|access-date=15 June 2020}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dopethrone-mw0000115961|publisher=AllMusic|title=Electric WIzard – Dopethrone Album Reviews, Songs & More|access-date=19 September 2022|last=Rivadavia|first=Eduardo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615032253/https://www.allmusic.com/album/dopethrone-mw0000115961|archivedate=15 June 2012}}
• {{cite news|newspaper=Village Voice|title=Fester and Carbuncle|last=Smith|first=George|date=6 March 2001|page=76|issue=9|volume=46}}

{{Electric Wizard}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2000 albums

Category:Electric Wizard albums

Category:Rise Above Records albums

Category:Cthulhu Mythos music