#old man wizard

[doomedandstoned]

The Desertfest Diaries

~Words & Snaps by Jamie Yeats~

Once again, I have made the pilgrimage across the sea to one of the many riff filled lands, Camden Town, home of the legendary Desertfest London. Though the journey was long, it was just as worth it as last year. The folks behind Desertfest have delivered yet another blistering festival stacked with bands spanning across all the subgenres of a stoner’s fantasy. With centrally located venues both small and large, yet all feeling personal, the atmosphere is natural and free flowing. I’d like to take you through the fest and highlight some of my favorite performances of the weekend.

OLD MAN LIZARD

The first band to grace the Underworld stage was Old Man Lizard, delivering an excellent forty-five minutes of mind bending riffage. I had never heard of this band before the fest, but odd times that consistently caught me off guard paired with the intricate chord work of their guitar player Jack Newnham drew me in immediately and kept me satisfied throughout.

RADIO MOSCOW

The next band that really got to me was Radio Moscow. Hailing from San Diego, these guys travelled further than I did to be there on day one of the fest, and they delivered with the rage that a transatlantic flight gives a person. They were the only band I was in the pit for that really got the crowd to go absolutely bananas. Forward moving bass riffs layered with tripped out Hendrix meets Jeff Beck guitar solos provided some serious inspiration to me as a musician.

DEAD WITCHES

The absolute heaviest tone I experienced throughout the weekend was dished out by none other than Dead Witches. A supergroup of sorts, employing ex-Electric Wizard member Mark Greening on drums, Dead Witches showcased their talent to create a very grim atmosphere. I’ve never particularly been a fan of their recorded material, but I wanted to check out the live sound anyways and I’m very glad that I did.

STEAK NUMBER EIGHT

Another band I had never heard of, and possibly the most different sounding group from the lineup, was Steak Number Eight. I had no idea what to expect going in, but with the line for getting in to High On Fire being unreasonably long I thought I would go check these guys out instead. The music was interesting, stoner hardcore of sorts with very cool grooves and sounds, but what blew me away was the performance. Everyone in the band is fairly young and they were all running and jumping about the stage with belligerence in their blood. It made for a very entertaining set.

MONOLORD

Onto Sunday, perhaps the most stacked lineup with my tastes. The only venue I spent time in this day was the Roundhouse, one of Camden’s oldest and most renowned venues. The lineup on this stage was absolutely insane. The first band to lay waste was Monolord, who I have been listening to for years but never had the opportunity to see prior. They exceeded all expectations and brought forth one of the heaviest yet trippy sets I’ve ever seen. Crushing bass and drum sound paired with souring delay and reverb soaked vocals made for an entrancing swirl of headbanging.

ELDER

Immediately following Monolord was one of my favorite bands of all time: Elder. They are known for their intricate riffs and sound spectrum encompassing guitar work, and rightfully so. This was my third time seeing Elder but the first time seeing them with their recently added fourth member. It was very cool to see this band with all the proper guitar harmonies included on ‘Reflections of a Floating World’ and ‘Lore’, and the synth work added a great layer to the sound. Also included was a projection of unrelenting tripped out, fractal infused visuals that were the icing on the cake.

HAWKWIND

The last band I saw of the weekend was the legendary Hawkwind. I’m honestly not all that familiar with their catalog, but knowing their influence I knew it was an opportunity I could not pass up. A regular drum/bass/guitar trio along with two synthesizer players, and vocals that were heavily soaked with several effects created an ever flowing sound that induced psychedelic feelings both in the mind and the body. The music was wonderful and very unique, it was a true treat to see this band while I had the chance.

Overall the experience was optimal for a festival, easy to navigate, constantly flowing, and never a shortage of great music. It went by quickly but days later my body is still recovering from the bustle and my ears are still recovering from the Doom. If you ever get the chance to experience this festival, it is well worth your time and money, and will provide you with a weekend of experiences you will never forget. Here are a few extra snaps I got that capture the vibe of the weekend.

Ticket Exchange

Program

Line to see Weedeater

High on Fire

[lonelybrickpururu]

Ded

This pen inspired me and I drew some kind of humanization (humanisation?) im so stupid omg nice

[doomedandstoned]

San Diego’s Old Man Wizard Bid Farewell with 'Kill Your Servants Quietly’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

    By Billy Goate

Artwork by Valin Mattheis

I've long admired Francis Roberts as a songwriter and arranger, especially in OLD MAN WIZARD. There is, dare I say, a certain rock opera aesthetic to their output. Past albums have given me a wandering philosopher-monk kind of feel. I adored 'Blame It All On Sorcery' (2018) and was excited to hear their latest, even as I learned it would be the band's last. Joined by Andre Beller (bass guitar, violin) and Kris Calabio (drums), Francis continues his spiritual road trip in the farewell album, 'Kill Your Servants Quietly' (2021).

We're pulled into the narrative straight away with "I Prayed," which calls attention to a familiar, if frustrating, dialectic between the chaotic state of things and our struggle to effect change over circumstances that seem so wildly out of our control.

I prayed for hope and life unchanged. And God seems quite deranged. But that doesn't matter. I prayed for happiness and love. But God seeks endless wealth. And that doesn't matter.

And about the propensity of prayer to be a self-congratulatory pat on the back, an easy way to end our wishes by kicking the can skywards to the heavens.

Pray that all the world starts to understand. Pray instead of thinking hand-in-hand. Pray away the suffering, the hunger, and the fear. It disappears.

After the LP's namesake track, the subject returns in "God Is Your Friend." Just who is this God that we're so anxious to sell our soul to? Perhaps he is merely a wish or, worse, a projection of our own wishes upon the world.

God is our friend. He will defend. Give into guilt. Feel your heart wilt. God please save me and punish me. After you're done, I'll come back for more.

"I Wanna Know" seems at first blush like one of those narcissistic love songs about wondering whether one's crush even notices them at all, but it too is about God.

Whew! If that sounds a little too weighty for your enjoyment, fret not. Franciss has a way of writing that is actually very accessible. This is less preachy than confessional. The songwriter is sharing his inner dialogue, perhaps knowing that many of fellow travellers will readily identify. A few songs later, "Your Life" strikes this hopeful tone:

Life goes on with or without you. Make the best of what remains. To be seen.

"Today" couldn't be a better song for me to listen to in my present mind state, as I recover from a severe bout with COVID-19 that brought me to the brink of death and back following my trip to see what would become Eric Wagner's last show (RIP to a true legend!). Since that time, my body and brain have been experiencing a slow, but extraordinary renaissance. It's nice to find a soundtrack that fits the rarely hopeful mood I've been in lately.

One day everything will be okay. One night everything will be alright. Till then, everything feels like falling. Hold on. Today.

I'm a die-hard Doomer, so finding room for optimism in my life was an unexpected perk of recovery. When I'm not listening to the ravaging sounds of Serpentine Path, Eyehategod, or High on Fire, I find myself drawn to the meditative vibe of Om. Now that I'm doing regular daily walks again, Old Man Wizard is just right for my stride.

The thing is, the band really does pull off this seemingly Pollyannaish sentiment quite convincingly. I wouldn't blame anyone for feeling cynical about the future of humanity, considering the grave condition the planet finds itself under mankind's squandered stewardship. Yet the message seems to be that behind the day's menacing headlines, there is still meaning -- if only with a small "m" (I'll take it!).

Was this really Nieztche's point when he declared, "God is dead"? After all, he insisted he was just a messenger, not the prophet of some bold new doctrine. "God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him" was his emphasis. In that Brave New World of the 20th century (during which long-held religious notions were stripped of legitimacy as the Pandora's Box of science and technology was flipped wide open), purpose could still be found by shifting one's perspective to the personal mission of art and creativity. We can indeed experience meaning (even hope and joy) on a scale that makes sense for us individually, even if the rest of our fellows are stuck spinning their wheels in anger, frustration, and self-destruction.

In the words of another track, "Falling Star":

Climb the mountain, cross the stream. Travel light to lift your soul, for life exists in a dream. Skies turn to blood. My head readjusts, knowing everything that must be done.

Falling star comes from the sky to where we are. Just close your eyes and fall in love. Let yourself go. Come to me.

Kill Your Servants Quietly (despite the apparent severity of its title) a life-affirming record. Commanding an impressive range of stylistic sensibilities, Old Man Wizard achieves a balance between heaviness and harmony. Some may trace its lineage to the folk and popular music of the 1960s and '70s, such as The Beatles or The Byrds. Others will appreciate the album for its damning drum beats and stinging guitar leads -- a brilliant mix of classic and contemporary heavy rock. Hell, I like it all! Perhaps that's because it's so damned relatable (the last song, "Live Forever," especially).

Says Francis:

I love this album, I loved working on it, and it feels great to see so many overwhelmingly positive reviews of it ahead of the release date. My goal in writing it was to make it feel like an Old Man Wizard record, but for each song to be a slightly different genre. Overall we went for an old-school approach to the production, like we tracked the band live without a click, for example, and filled in missing frequencies and background space with arrangement stuff like strings and synthesizers instead of production stuff like double tracking guitars (the only song on the album with more than one guitar track is "Your Life"). Another fun fact: I still like every song on the album! I usually get sick of my songs after recording them, so that's probably a good sign. I hope you like them too!

Look for Kill Your Servants Quietly to release digitally this weekend, which you can also pre-order it on vinyl, compact disc, and cassette tape. In the meanwhile, Doomed & Stoned is giving you this exclusive advanced listen!

Give ear...

Kill Your Servants Quietly by Old Man Wizard

Some Buzz

Kill Your Servants Quietly is the third and final studio album from progressive heavy rock outfit Old Man Wizard. It follows the release of two full-length LPs: Unfavorable (2013) and Blame It All On Sorcery (2018).

Kill Your Servants Quietly escorts you on a fantasy-fuelled journey with a mixture of high-energy tracks and emotional performances. The theatrical thunder and soaring melodies of "I Prayed" opens the album with dramatic effect. The overdriven guitar of the title track provides a heavy grounding to the soaring vocals and harmonies. With lyrics balancing on the line between fantasy and reality, the narrative explores dark ideas whilst aptly suiting the musical arrangement.

From the eerily dark instrumentation and lyrics of "God Is Your Friend" to the serene "Your Life" and dynamic "Live Forever", Kill Your Servants Quietly is an excellently crafted album. Old Man Wizard have cultivated a distinctive sound that delivers epic drama and delight with every track.

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[gbhbl]

Album Review: Old Man Wizard - Kill Your Servants Quietly (Self Released)

Album Review: Old Man Wizard – Kill Your Servants Quietly (Self Released)

Kill Your Servants Quietly is the third and final studio album from progressive heavy rock outfit Old Man Wizard. It follows the release of two full-length LPs: Unfavorable (2013) and Blame It All On Sorcery (2018). Guitarist/Vocalist Francis Roberts writes: This is my favorite album I’ve ever made. I love the songs I wrote for it, I loved working on it, and I’m really looking forward to sharing…

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[allthetimeiwaslisten]

Old Man Wizard - Blame It All On Sorcery

Sometimes, things come into your life by accident. When you're doing a blog in the style of your humble writer (poorly), you sometimes e...

Review of the second album by Old Man Wizard up now, cover from the Old Man Wizard Bandcamp page.

[johnkatsmc5]

Old Man Wizard  "Blame It All on Sorcery" 2018 US Heavy Psych ,Prog Stoner,Doom Metal

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full bandcamp

http://oldmanwizard.com/album/blame-it-all-on-sorcery

Blame It All On Sorcery is the second studio album by our Southern California-based rock band Old Man Wizard. This album is written, arranged, and recorded. We are raising funds with the goal of self-releasing it to make sure you get the clearest representation of our vision. ....~ You can’t blame me. With a name like Old Man Wizard, I expected some doom or stoner metal stuff akin to Black Sabbath. I defy you to find a band with the word ‘wizard’ in the name that isn’t at least adjacent to those genres. To be clear, I’m very happy with what I got: a Ghost-like progressive rock outfit blanketed with folk, metal and Western movie soundtrack flair. The California trio and recent Weekly Featured Artist here at It Djents have been at it for a while. However, with their second album, they look to be aiming for the legendary progressive music pantheon by imbuing their unique sound with more variety, spirit and… well, what I can only really describe as magic. The aptly titled Blame It All On Sorcery is an inferno of creativity from a budding band wise beyond their years and one of the best prog albums I’ve heard recently. There’s a lot going on with this album. It’s hard to adequately summarize all of the varieties of sounds you encounter throughout its 44-minute length. The intersections of folk, prog rock, black metal and outlaw Western soundtracks (think Ennio Morricone, whom guitarist and singer Francis Roberts is a fan of) are fruitful, engaging and built for multiple listens. Clean, well-mixed production that sits closer to lo-fi with a retro vibe gives it charm. Old Man Wizard put their best foot forward showing off three singles from the album (as of this writing) that make the sense of artistry and dynamics in this album very apparent while saving some real goodies for the deeper cuts. Let’s get into the singles first, each one deserving of its own praise. “Never Leave” is a gloomy acoustic ballad. Kris Calabio’s drums have an organic snappiness to them which showcase how much the dialed-back production really benefits Old Man Wizard‘s music. The lyrics evoke imagery of fields rich with flora soaked in moonlight, curiously inhabited by visions of inviting angels. It’s relaxing and calming, which is a pretty stark contrast to this album’s other two singles. “The Blind Prince” is a lot more high tempo than “Never Leave”. Choral vocals welcome you with much more intense percussion and vigorous bass and electric guitar. The best part of this track, and a major milestone of the whole album, is the song’s final verse, a climax after a short crescendo with an intensely groovy, catchy guitar passage. The vocals are patiently enunciated and remind me of the first couple iterations of Ghost‘s charismatic Papa Emeritus. It has a classically metal tone to it, but it’s over before you know it. “Innocent Hands” erupts from the first second it’s played, calling forth a black metal-like fury that couldn’t have been foreseen especially when considering the previous track was another calm acoustic song (“Somehow”). It’s almost jarring – the quickened gallop of the drums usher in a pace that gave me tonal whiplash at first, but belongs firmly in Old Man Wizard‘s book of spells. High, clean vocals eerily sing: ‘Walk to the edge of the world/Blame falls on innocent hands‘. Each syllable is joined by a snare and cymbal strike which helps accentuate them. An instrumental break gives Andre Beller’s chunky bass some good air time before the final verse, a refrain made up of the second lyric quoted earlier. The deep cuts of Blame It All On Sorcery offer even more textures while maintaining the band’s overall aesthetic. “Cosmo” sees cadence and inflections of the vocals dance around with the drums as they did on “Innocent Hands”, but it’s a much more toned down affair. The proto-metal flair carries onto “Last Ride of the Ancients”, which is infectious with a melody that builds upon itself. Two guitar solos in this song sound heavily inspired by Queen‘s Brian May in both composition and tone. Finally, the ten-minute epic closer “The Long-Nosed Wiseman” is a doom rock treat. Roberts’ vocals take on an eerie tone as he weaves a tale about the titular wiseman. It’s a slow burn and while the track is as strong as any other in terms of storytelling and lyrics, the instrumentation is what really sells it here. The pacing and progression help encompass the range of Old Man Wizard‘s skill set, making for a wonderful way to close the album out. There’s not much keeping this album from the top ranks. It’s beautifully dynamic and has a lot going for it, from its delicate moments to the furiously catchy touchstones. I would tell anyone who is a fan of rock music to give it a go. It’s initially enigmatic, but always intoxicating. There truly is something in it for nearly everyone, but in grasping for that wider appeal the artistic merit hasn’t been compromised and retains the depth that any great prog album should have. This will be one of the greater progressive music releases of 2018, no doubt. Old Man Wizard wield a wickedly comprehensive and enjoyable magic and I implore you to fall under their spell....ByDavid Rodriguez....~ I've been following Old Man Wizard for years now and they have rapidly made a name for themselves as one of the most exciting and potent bands on the West Coast. Their unique brand of psych rock has grown in leaps and bounds though with this upcoming release owing much more to Ghost than to Kyuss. There has been a fascinating development in what Old Man Wizard has been doing, and though it's been five years in between full lengths - I gotta say, it was well worth the wait for this fascinating offering. This is a record that is epic and knows it. They play the long game throughout Blame It All On Sorcery with distinct musical twists and turns allowing Old Man Wizard to explore a variety of exciting flavors. As much as they might revel in the psychedelic and classic rock sounds that define this record though, they aren't afraid to go back to their roots and embrace moments of pure doom or black metal. Sure there aren't growls or anything too extreme, but the intro of Innocent Hands definitely caught me off guard. My only real complaint about this album is that it's maybe too ambitious and at times the execution is a little bit off. Make no mistake, Blame It All On Sorcery is an exciting journey and one that I'm stoked to take time and time again. The fusion of ideas and genres here is stunning and overall very well done. I'm extremely curious to see how these guys keep developing because they have one of the clearest visions and potent sounds in the scene right now. There are a lot of truly thrilling moments giving Old Man Wizard a unique level of dynamism that you don't normally see from bands on their level. If they can conjure up something like this, who knows what the future may hold?.....by Matt Bacon ....~ Old Man Wizard are a progressive, hard rock and metal band from California. Their new release ‘Blame It All On Sorcery’ will be released on May 11th 2018. Guitarist and vocalist Francis Roberts has commented the ’album is the result of a years-long winding (and fairly bumpy) road.’ He further comments he and his group ’actually almost recorded Blame It All On Sorcery at some point in 2014 or 2015, but Kris developed pretty bad tendonitis and (the band) had to replace him on drums for a couple of shows.’ He continues ‘We all wanted him on the album so we decided to take a break until he was able to play again’. It’s no surprise this album took so long to produce. The harmony is unusually complex for most genres of rock. Its jazzy, relentless chromatic nature is rather striking, whilst simultaneously quite heavy much of the time. It really shows the metal sceptics that a great deal of creativity can be demonstrated with distorted guitars, bass and vocals. You don’t need keyboards or similar instruments to provide pleasing tones. Furthermore, the frustration of the recording experience shows in the lack of happy vibes. Eeriness, tension and sadness are frequently depicted. It’s clear from their hiatus that the band members care about each other, and this is perhaps also shown in their music. Whilst they are powerful, the guitars do have a relatively warm tone to them rather than them being super distorted. The drums are rarely too manic and the singing is far from threatening. In fact the latter is sometimes even a tiny little bit on the angelic side. Relatively speaking. In a way. This music is clearly somewhat of a paradox with all its contrasting traits, but it is a fascinating listen. Unfortunately, whilst they are rather colourful and distinctive, the vocal melodies aren’t quite as adventurous as the chords. They are fairly decent, but are a little on the safe side, with few large intervallic leaps. However, the variety of sounds, tempos, moods and the way everything progresses in the album at least partly makes up for that deficiency. In conclusion, this is very good music of its style. It is more focused on songwriting than instrumental flashiness, so don’t expect anything close to crazy sweep picking, epic drum solos using strange polyrhythms or anything more skilled than your typical metal group. However, if that doesn’t matter to you, there is little in ‘BIAOS’ that will put you off this stuff, especially if you have a more sophisticated taste. And don’t worry, just because these guys are clever, don’t think they neglect simplified though fun power chords. Check the album out!...by..Simon Wedemann....~ Francis Roberts - Guitar, Vocals Andre Beller - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals Kris Calabio - Drums, Backing Vocals Tracklist: 1.Beginnings And Happenstance 2.Sorcerer 3.The Blind Prince 4.Never Leave 5.Cosmo 6.Somehow 7.Innocent Hands 8.Last Ride Of The Ancients 9.The Vision 10.The Long-Nosed Wiseman