Merlin’s The Wizard is a fun and exotic album that stretches the idea of doom metal. The introduction of saxophone expands the capabilities of this storied genre to a whole new dimension. This is the brilliant kind of craftsmanship that makes an album stand out for its daring creativity. From the opener, you’ll notice that this is a band which is going to do things differently and do them well.
After you notice the groovy sax on the first track “Abyss”, you may notice the fluid interwoven follow up with the album’s next track “Gravelord.” The Wizard is a conceptual album that tells a tale and each track is intentionally set up so that you listen to this whole release sequentially. With that being said, “Gravelord” also shows what this band is capable in terms of writing awesome lyrics and catchy rhythms. The song has spellbinding melodies and an otherworldly guitar solo. The saxophone gets jazzier on “Sage’s Crystal Staff”, a shorter track but certainly a powerful addition for its incredibly hypnotic sax solos. It is backed up by the heavy foreboding song “Golem.”
The tempo is traditionally slow with synths and organs to that help to establish a thick psychedelic and at times funeral ambiance. When the sax and guitars work in tandem such as on “Iron Borne”, the band is going to a place no other band has touched in my recollection.
The grooves on The Wizard are so freaking amazing and spontaneous. What an ass kicking and unforgettable thrill ride. You’ll be relieved to know the album is only about 39 minutes long, a perfect cut out time to avoid fizzling out. Fans of anime may consider this the Cowboy Bebop of high fantasy. Drop the stellar crew in a Dungeons & Dragons setting, and this is the album you will get. At least I’m certainly drifting off into space sitting here listening to this. Merlin, please don’t let me come back down.
Album released: January 26th 2018
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