Electric Wizard interview with Jus Oborn

Electric Wizard have been on the scene for several years now with many different lineups. Jus Oborn formed them out of his previous bands in early 90s. They became one of the heaviest bands. In the past 10+ years they released a great amount of records. Their latest release is "Legalise Drugs & Murder" EP. More about their upcoming plans in the following interview with Jus.

Interview:

What's happening right now in the camp of Electric Wizard?

I think that we've reached one of those decisive moments in Electric Wizard history...I guess every band gets to a point where they have perfected a concept...or idea?....until its run its course. Then you have to reinvigorate, reinvent yourself ...y'know...or die?...like a snake shedding it's skin.

We are in that process now....but, y'know that the snake is still essentially the same beast again and again.

The process started last year but really solidified when we began jamming with Mark Greening on drums again. His previous band had split and we talked about jamming again and it totally worked....since we got him back in the band there has been a, subconscious at first, shift towards much heavier and darker material.

I think I buried genuine darkness with horror film imagery since the split of the 1st line-up because it was....too real, too painful.....I didn't want to look inside myself. I numbed myself with drugs, satanism, horror movies etc..

Legalise Drugs & Murder 7" is your latest recording released by Rise Above Records. Can we expect a new album soon and if so, can you tell us a few words about it?

We have like 3-4 songs demoed but we keep postponing the actual recording.

I think it really has that feeling...the suppressed violence. Its sick....it makes me feel unhinged.

Mark and I have a total chemistry and Liz is my (evil) twin, it works cool....kinda the Addams Family meets the Baader/Meinhoff.

The band has been active for a long time now. If we could travel back to the late 80s when you formed "Lord of Putrefaction". What would you say influenced you the most? Have influences changed during the years?

Old school 1985 death metal and magic mushrooms/LSD....and everyone hated our guts in Wimborne. haha but we didnt care, I walked around looking like Sarcofago when I was 14/15 haha.

Everything changed when I got into Trouble and Sabbath...

In 1992, the name was changed to "Thy Grief Eternal" after Adam Richardson left the band. You put out one demo under this name: "On Blackened Wings". In 1993, James Evans left the band and you once again changed your name to "Eternal". The band released two demos under this name. After Gavin Gillingham left the band you formed Electric Wizard in Wimborne in Dorset. What was the scene back then when you started playing? Any local bands you like?

Actually this is the history of the band from 'Wikipedia' and isn't really the whole story. I only ever played in 2 bands.

I formed Putrefaction (Lord of Putrefaction/Thy Grief Eternal/Eternal) with bassist Dave Gedge in 86/87. We were the only 2 people into extreme music and metal in the area. We kinda found various local musicians from thrash or goth/rock bands that were open to heavier stuff.

James Evans was my friend and drummer from my school band, he wasn't really into metal and helped out cos we didn't have a drummer.

Gavin Gillingham was a glam/goth dude but he was the best guitarist in town, he got us into the Stooges and 60s stuff and we got him into Celtic Frost and Sabbath. I learnt alot about guitar playing from him too, before that I was total Venom style.

Anyway, Dave Gedges family moved back to Sherborne and I was stuck in a band with non-metal heads that wanted to do grunge.

Then I had a jam with Mark and Tim as they were in a Sabbath cover band, i'd just cropped 2 kilos of weed and I wanted to jam a kinda evil 70's doom metal sound. Not depressing but sinister....

The rest is history.....

You are very interested in occult. Would you like to tell us more about this? I mean what brought such an interest and are you religious or spiritual in any way?

Its kinda a private thing....I've never been religious, I was never baptised It goes back further than music. Dorset is very pagan, the church never really took hold in the South West of the UK.

When I heard the opener on "Come My Fanatics"... LP titled "Return Trip" I was really blowned away. How is it possible to create such a heavy song? The thing I admire the most, is that you are able to create an impressive (electric) atmosphere. How do you manage that?

Haha...you have to believe in death and oblivion, you need ridiculously loud amps and DRUGS....of course....

"Dopethrone" is in my opinion the most recognizable album. Man, that's the heaviest album I've ever heard and I'm a huge fan of it. What do you remember from recording and producing it? Tell us more about the influences and concepts behind the song.

I don't remember much....its not a joke either..haha...I try to think of one day in the studio but I can't ....except holding a baseball bat behind the producers head if he didn't turn the guitars up...

Our single goal was to be "The Heaviest Band In The World...Ever".

The title was a play on Darkthrone....Tim said we were Black Metal and Me and Mark just laughed and I said 'yeah bloody Dopethrone morelike'....and it kinda stuck.

What gear did you guys use on the record?

I dont really remember...I definitely had the Sound City 120.

You nailed it with adding 70s horror flicks between the songs. You are a big fan of 60s and 70s horror films and so am I. Are you also a collector? I mean do you collect VHS and what are some of the latest stuff you dig?

We love fuckin exploitation and horror films of 60s/70s....they are more of an influence visually ,and the soundtracks too, than other bands really.

I guess the acid and weed made us visualise the music as pictures and images ...

I hate new horror films..

"Witchcult Today" from 2007 was recorded entirely using vintage equipment. How about "Black Masses" and "Legalise Drugs & Murder" EP? Can you share what equipment did you use?

Black Masses and Witchcult Today were both recorded at Toe Rag Studios. Its all genuine old shit , all 50s and 60s. Check out there website or you can probably write a letter, they are that old school.

Legalise was recorded at Foel Studios which has an old Trident Studios desk.

In one interview you said you wanted to sound like the heaviest band in the 60s. Are there any obscure ones from the 60s and 70s you dig? I'm obsessed with obscure records and I recommend you to check "Sudden Death" from the early 70s or "Bolder Damn" if you don't know it already...

Yeah I always imagined what if Hellhammer or Possessed played in the 60s, I mean the gear is essentially the same...haha it would be wild right.

I don't really care for obscure records that much. The classic bands of the 60s/70s/80s are so fuckin awesome (Sabbath, Alice Cooper, The Stooges, Venom etc etc..) that I don't need or have time for much more. Some shit is cool like Jerusalem, Dust, Bang.....

You are probably fan of vinyl, since everything is released on it. What's on your turntable right now and what are you reading? I myself will be pretty obvious and will tell you, that's the "Necronomicom" by H.P. Lovecraft...

I only care for vinyl....right now I am playing Alice Cooper -Pretties For You.

I'm not reading too much right now...some old horror mags and 8mm magazines.

I'm sure you have some other music ideas, that are different from what are you creating right now. Any chances to make them happen in the near future?

No not really...all my musical ideas are somehow incorporated into Electric Wizard.

I sometimes toy with the idea of an Easy listening LP....soft crooning and depressing strings stuff....haha...no really...

You should come and play in Ljubljana at the center for alternative culture called Metelkova. You would love it... it's a great alternative place for all kind of weird shit...

Yeah cool man..make it happen. Do you have weed?