ALBUM REVIEW: Magickal Mystical Indifference – Rebel Wizard
Bringing together a caustic blend of black, thrash and heavy metal, Australia’s REBEL WIZARD are not only incredibly prolific when it comes to recording, they are also arguably one of their homeland’s more impressive hidden gems. Seemingly putting out one savage, intense record after another, with no drop in terms of quality, the band have clearly begun to reach their creative zenith since the release of their second full length, Voluptuous Worship of Rapture and Response back in 2018. Their latest full length, Magickal Mystical Indifference sees the bands noxious brew of styles reaching its apex, and sees the one man act poised to take their music to the next level.
heavy negative wizard metal in-fucking-excelsis starts this album with a short, sharp shock of slick leads and tight thrash rhythms, providing a melodic, catchy opener, setting the stage for the classic thrash and heavy metal tropes that will underpin much of this albums sound. raiseth up all those that be bowed down retains the excellent riffs of the previous song, coupling them with rabid vocals and a fuller sound, creating an ethereal yet grimy feel and drawing the listener further into the record.
The comically named white light of divine awe smelling of sweat and sex proves to be an early stand out track, with feral vocals and a more dominant, thrash undercurrent, managing to combine all the best elements of classic black and thrash metal, with razor sharp tones and chaotic flourishes lending themselves well to the rawer production. you are being lived, dear one, another brief track, possesses a huge guitar sound and punishing drums, acting as a great backdrop for utterly savage vocals, leaving its mark despite being so short. dance of the duchess in the pale pink light takes a timeless, heavy metal formula, complete with great, energetic leads, and peppers a little black metal into the mix, making for a polished, yet lively, affair that works extremely well, adding a little more depth to the sound.
not rain but the wizards tears lurches from a fast, focused style to a slower, doom-laden one, countering the previous songs light, upbeat nature with bleak and brooding moments that add emotive weight to the music. It’s a magnificent piece of music with a few, subtle psychedelic flavours thrown in for good measure, kicking off the albums second half on a high note. urination of vapidity on consciousness is a brutal blast of bestial, black metal intensity, proving to be a venom-soaked, visceral number, proving that sometimes, less is more when it comes to powerful, primal music like this. the mind is not your friend with its soaring leads and chunkier, groove inflected rhythms, injects a denser, robust quality into the sound, and turns out every bit as aggressive as the track that preceded it.
love wisdom everything nothing sees well placed, deeply atmospheric, keyboards come into play, crafting a great, ambient piece that works extremely well. The spoken word passages, unlike those that featured earlier on the record, add to the effectiveness of the song, providing a fantastic musical interlude that breaks up the album. The final, titular track, despite being a fairly long offering, ultimately proves to be the album’s best, with imaginative leads and a wider range of tones giving this an immersive, dramatic feel, bringing together REBEL WIZARD‘s myriad of influences and adding a climactic conclusion to the album.
There’s plenty to appreciate on this album, especially if you love classic metal. The blending of styles works incredibly well, without any one style outright dominating the overall sound, making for an eclectic mix of styles. However, to dismiss this album off as just a mix of old school black and thrash components would be doing a significant disservice to REBEL WIZARD, as there’s plenty of things that make this album stand apart from many acts who rely on tried and tested formulas to write music, most notably the subtle psychedelic flourishes that creep into the sound on occasion, and the excellent, tight guitar work. This is a brilliant example of a band beginning to hit their stride, and if they continue in this vein in the future, they could very well become one of the more impressive and enduring bands to adopt a classic sound in recent times.
Rating: 8/10
Magickal Mystical Indifference is out via Prosthetic Records.
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