Some albums strike a chord the
minute you hear them. Such is the case with Rome, Italy’s Doom duo Wizard
Master with their debut album Phasmatis.
It’s sinister, fuzzy, and draped in the occult.
Phasmatis is a
concept album that opens with a foreboding instrumental track titled “Extradimensional
Being” in which we hear a paranoid and perturbed caller to a radio show babbling
about the aforementioned extradimensional beings. It sets the tone perfectly
for everything that follows throughout this musical séance. “Know the Wizard”
is a groovy cut, straight out of the seventies, and an absolute gem of a song.
Maybe the best of the album with its distorted sound and doomy atmosphere. For
a song that’s over seven minutes in length, it never overstays its welcome. “Wicked
Eye” is a meaner song with blistering guitar and hypnotic rhythms. This one
sizzles and also remains relevant during the entirety of its eight minutes. “This
Is Black Sabbath” is slower-paced, full of stoner vibes, turning into a ceremony
of musical mayhem. I love the vocals on this one! The penultimate track, “Solve
et Coagula”, (Latin for “Dissolve and Coagulate”), the action of breaking apart
and coming together, draws its inspiration from alchemy and Satanist imagery.
Riff-laden, catchy, yet evil, it serves as a bridge to the end of the record. “Phasma
Phasmatis”, the album’s epilogue, expands on the recurring musical motifs and
lyrical themes previously established. It will get you nodding your head, I
guarantee it.
Wizard Master has put together a masterful (no pun intended) set of tunes for their inaugural album. It’s doomy to the max, has plenty of retro moments, extensive instrumental passages, wears its occult aspirations on its sleeve, and could just as well be the soundtrack to a demonic sci-fi/horror film. It’d be a perfect record to listen to on windy October nights leading up to Halloween, but it’s also a deliciously enjoyable album to put on any other night. Let the hypnotic cover artwork draw you in and step inside the world of Wizard Master—you won’t want to come back!
Wizard Master’s Bandcamp page: https://wizardmasterband.bandcamp.com/
Forbidden Place Records’ Wizard Master Bandcamp page: https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/wizard-master-phasmatis
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