Wizard Tattoo - S/T (EP Review)

Release Date: August 26th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Wizard Tattoo - S/T - Tracklisting

1.Wizard Tattoo 05:50

2.A Wizard's Lie 04:57

3.Wizard Knife Fight (At a Bar) 04:49

4.No Return 04:21

Review

Wizard Tattoo is a new band from the Indianapolis, Indiana underground sound who fuse Stoner Rock, Doom Metal and Prog Metal with a slight Psychedelic seedy vision. Their debut EP is a winning mix of classic and modern day sounds that is played at a superb fast pace. There’s a cool story behind this EP that leans mightily into Prog Rock territory that tells the story about a man who thinks he’s becoming a Wizard because of his new tattoo. Hence the name of the band. 

Concept aside, Wizard Tattoo’s debut release has four tracks running for a brief twenty minutes that sees the band play a melodic style of Doom Metal and Stoner Rock with an Alternative Rock flow. The two standout tracks are Wizard Tattoo and A Wizard’s Lie that show the true creativity of the band especially when they inject some ELO inspired sounds towards the end on Wizard Tattoo but still retaining that classic Doom/Stoner Metal sound. Grizzled vocals align themselves to the darkness of the EP and it’s a refreshing change of pace that can be quite theatrical in places but it’s downright addictive.

Second track is quite funky and jazzy with cool sounding bass guitars and psychedelic beats with the Leonard Cohen inspired lyrics and vocals being more Alt Rock than Doomed Out Stoner Rock. A different side to the Wizard Tattoo but it’s a wickedly entertaining song especially when the heavy DRONED OUT atmospherics appear to inject a healthy dose of HEAVINESS to the song.

The final two songs Wizard Knife Fight (At A Bar) and No Return are pure Doom/Stoner Metal manic energy that captures a heavier side to Wizard Tattoo. Heavy grooves and superb songwriting allows Wizard Tattoo to close this EP on a mighty high with perhaps Wizard Knife Fight (At A Bar) being the most exciting of the final two tracks though the sublime instrumental work on No Return is another highlight that harks back to the day of Seventies Prog Rock.

Wizard Tattoo’s debut EP is an electrifying release that is helped along by fantastic production values that last long in the memory. 

If Wizard Tattoo keeps releasing great records such as this then the Doom/Stoner Metal Underground scene are going to love this band like I do already.

Awesome stuff.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Holly at Deviate PR for the promo. Wizard Tattoo debut EP is available to buy digitally from all good stockists now.

Social Media:

https://linktr.ee/wizardtattoo

Wizard Tattoo Premiere New Song And Video For Wizard Knife Fight (At A Bar) From Upcoming New EP.

Wizard Tattoo is an Indianapolis based rock band by multi-instrumentalist Bram the Bard that summons catchy riffs with progressive and heavy elements. Wizard Tattoo is the self-titled debut concept EP, releasing on the 26th of August 2022, which tells the story of a man who starts hearing a dark voice shortly after getting a tattoo. Throughout the four tracks, listen to his musical journey of delusion. Is he really becoming a wizard or is he just going mad?

Bram the Bard comments:

“Wizard Tattoo is a culmination of influences from classic rock to doom metal. It takes two played-out concepts “tattoos of wizards” and bands with the name “Wizard” in their name and mashes them together. It’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek but came about from a midlife crisis that I went through during the pandemic. I think everyone gets to a certain point in their life where they evaluate their accomplishments, choices, and their very existence. Some people push through and keep going, and others end up self-destructing. Unfortunately, our protagonist in the EP chooses the latter and goes off the deep end. It’s a journey, and I hope everyone comes along for the ride!”

Conjuring up a storm, the title track delivers a captivating heavy doom sound with distorted guitars and groove rhythms. Transitioning into a spellbinding progressive bridge of orchestration and electronics, the narrative of Wizard Tattoo emerges through the eerie atmosphere. ‘A Wizard’s Lie’ ventures into realms of jazz influences with non-standard time signatures and intricate guitar leads, interspersed with necromantic manifestations of heavy fuzz. Bringing a touch of magic to the barroom brawl, ‘Wizard Knife Fight’ explores in greater detail the actions of the protagonist with a touch of humour and epic guitar riffs. Accompanied by the soft patter of rainfall, a bewitching acoustic guitar and folk harmonies divines a serene but sombre mood.

Wizard Tattoo is not your conventional fairy tale. See what happens when ink goes wrong in this not-so-enchanting story of dark sorcery, told through dynamic guitars, ghostly vocals and genre-crossing instrumentation.

You can hear the excellent new song Wizard Knife Fight (At A Bar) from the upcoming new EP.

The band say this about the song:

’Wizard Knife Fight’ was one of the first song titles I jotted down when putting this project together. The name just seemed kind of absurd and fit the overall theme that I wanted for the EP.  Musically, the main riff was hugely inspired by ZZ Top. When I think of bar music, I think of them, and that's what I was after for this song. In terms of narrative, this is the first song where the EP's protagonist firmly believes he's a wizard and goes out into the world to test his newly found power.”

Digital pre-order: https://wizardtattoo.bandcamp.com/releases

Credits:

All music by Bram the Bard
Mixed and Mastered at Garage Fire Recordings, Indianapolis, IN
Album artwork by Zi F. Tam

Track-list:

1. Wizard Tattoo
2. A Wizard’s Lie
3. Wizard Knife Fight (At a Bar)
4. No Return

Social Media:

https://linktr.ee/wizardtattoo

Thanks to Holly at Deviate PR for all of the details.