Electric Wizards
A Tapestry of Heavy Music, 1968 to the Present
JR MooresA riotous, technicolour account of the evolution of heavy music.
It began with The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’. It was distilled to its dark essence by Black Sabbath. And it has flourished into a vibrant modern underground, epitomized by Newcastle’s Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. This is the evolution of heavy music.
The voyage is as varied as it is illuminating: from the lysergic blunt trauma of Blue Cheer to the locked grooves of Funkadelic, the aural frightmares of Faust to the tectonic crush of Sleep, alighting on post-punk, industrial, grunge, stoner rock and numerous other genres along the way.
Ranging from household names to obscure cult heroes and heroines, Electric Wizards demonstrates how each successive phase of heavy music was forged by what came before, outlining a rich and eclectic lineage that extends far beyond the usual boundaries of heavy rock or heavy metal. It extols those who did things differently, who introduced something fresh and exciting into this elemental tradition, whether by design, accident or sheer chance. In doing so, Electric Wizards weaves an entirely new tapestry of heavy music.
A riotous, technicolour account of the evolution of heavy music.
It began with The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’. It was distilled to its dark essence by Black Sabbath. And it has flourished into a vibrant modern underground, epitomized by Newcastle’s Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. This is the evolution of heavy music.
The voyage is as varied as it is illuminating: from the lysergic blunt trauma of Blue Cheer to the locked grooves of Funkadelic, the aural frightmares of Faust to the tectonic crush of Sleep, alighting on post-punk, industrial, grunge, stoner rock and numerous other genres along the way.
Ranging from household names to obscure cult heroes and heroines, Electric Wizards demonstrates how each successive phase of heavy music was forged by what came before, outlining a rich and eclectic lineage that extends far beyond the usual boundaries of heavy rock or heavy metal. It extols those who did things differently, who introduced something fresh and exciting into this elemental tradition, whether by design, accident or sheer chance. In doing so, Electric Wizards weaves an entirely new tapestry of heavy music.
A riotous, technicolour account of the evolution of heavy music.
It began with The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’. It was distilled to its dark essence by Black Sabbath. And it has flourished into a vibrant modern underground, epitomized by Newcastle’s Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. This is the evolution of heavy music.
The voyage is as varied as it is illuminating: from the lysergic blunt trauma of Blue Cheer to the locked grooves of Funkadelic, the aural frightmares of Faust to the tectonic crush of Sleep, alighting on post-punk, industrial, grunge, stoner rock and numerous other genres along the way.
Ranging from household names to obscure cult heroes and heroines, Electric Wizards demonstrates how each successive phase of heavy music was forged by what came before, outlining a rich and eclectic lineage that extends far beyond the usual boundaries of heavy rock or heavy metal. It extols those who did things differently, who introduced something fresh and exciting into this elemental tradition, whether by design, accident or sheer chance. In doing so, Electric Wizards weaves an entirely new tapestry of heavy music.
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As a compendium of leap-off points, Electric Wizards is a mind-riot . . . Heavy music has deserved its own tome but the only thing heavy about his book is its weight – its tone and style are illuminatingly light and wonderfully convivial throughout. Someone get Electric Wizards on the national music curriculum now.
'Neil Kulkarni, The Wire
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An enthrallingly funny read, and one that's hard to put down despite its girth.
'Record Collector
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Electric Wizards is a good read because it’s constantly analyzing and theorizing – inspiring the reader to follow suit. No matter what your tastes in heavy sounds, you’ll find yourself considering new perspectives and rethinking artists you may have dismissed or overlooked. There have been plenty of superficial, fawning heavy rock histories, so it’s good to finally have one that challenges the reader.
'Ugly Things
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Electric Wizards is a superbly written book about what JR Moores calls "heavy music". Not heavy metal, heavy music, which he persuasively and wittily argues includes musical artists as diverse as, for instance, Black Sabbath, Babes in Toyland, Funkadelic and all kinds of bands and singers in between . . . Fed up with the bland musical fare offered up by radio and "music tv" this is the book for you, and once you hear doors slamming and the neighbours banging on your walls you pretty much know you’re in the presence of heavy music – just make sure JR Moores is there to guide you.
'The Crack
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A depth-charge exploration to the bloodied heart of heavy. Essential, energetic writing – JR Moores is the netherworld guide we always needed.
'Harry Sword, author of Monolithic Undertow: In Search of Sonic Oblivion
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Simultaneously hilarious, provocative and sensitive; wildly entertaining while always getting to the heart of the matter . . . Just take my goddamned bitcoin already.
'John Doran, The Quietus
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The landscape of heavy music is vast, its existence is ever evolving. There is no better person to explore its dynamic terrain than JR Moores.
'Matt Baty, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
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JR Moores covers a rich landscape of sounds . . . What’s more, he achieves a rare feat in rock criticism of saying something fresh and interesting about The Beatles.
'Dan Franklin, author of HEAVY: How Metal Changes the Way We See the World
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This book will open a wormhole in your brain.
'Joe Thompson, Hey Colossus
Preface
Introduction
1 The Prehistory
2 Sabbath Phase I: Black Sabbath
3 Acid Rock and Beyond
4 Funk
5 The 1970s Experimental European Underground
6 Punk Rock: The Non-Heavy Genre that was Vital for Heaviness
7 Industrial Rock
8 Noise Rock
9 Sabbath Phase II: Melvins’ Gluey Porch Treatments
10 The Global Impact of Napalm Death’s Scum
11 The Late 1980s and Early 1990s Pre-Grunge Underground
12 TAD: The Heaviest and Least Celebrated Grunge Band
13 Steve Albini: Heavy-duty Engineer
14 Sabbath Phase III: Earth, Sleep, Electric Wizard and Other Assorted Stoners
15 The Nadir: The Late 1990s and Early 2000s
16 The 2000s Noise Scene
17 Post-rock and Post-metal
18 Sabbath Phase IV: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs and the Modern Heavy Underground
19 Never Say Die
References
Further Reading
Select Discography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
JR Moores is resident psych-rock columnist for both The Quietus and Record Collector, and his work has also appeared in The Wire, The Guardian, Bandcamp Daily and Vice.
