Jus Oborn

Jus Oborn
Oborn in the early 2000s.
Background information
Birth Name	Justin Oborn
Alias	Jus G. Warrior Count Orlof
Born	30 October 1969
Occupation	Musician
Genres	Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, Death/Doom, Occult Rock
Instrument(s)	Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Years active	1988 - Present
Labels	Rise Above Records, The Music Cartel, Spinefarm
Associated acts	Electric Wizard, Eternal, Thy Grief Eternal, Lord of Putrefaction, Morbicus

Jus Oborn is an English musician, best known for his tenure in the occult doom band Electric Wizard, where he has served as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Prior to Electric Wizard's formation he had been involved with several bands ranging from death metal to death/doom to old-school doom metal. To date he's released nine studio albums with Electric Wizard since the band's formation and is known for his brash, intense persona in interviews and on stage.

Biography

• For further details, feel free to view the Riffipedia page on Electric Wizard.

Oborn's career would start largely with death metal bands as he was a fan of early extreme metal such as Bathory and Celtic Frost to name a few. Many of the early bands he would be involved with would be short-lived, changing names often when a member would leave the group. Oborn would perform with Morbicus from 1988 - 1989 and Lord of Putrefaction from 1989 - 1991. Working with Dave Gedge, James Evans and Gavin Gillingham (The former two performing with Jus in Lord of Putrefaction.) Thy Grief Eternal would form in 1991. The band released a single demo entitled ...On Blackened Wings before Gillingham left and the band would re-name themselves Eternal. The band would release a single EP entitled Lucifer's Children in 1993 before disbanding, originally intending to sign with Rise Above Records.

Oborn, working with fellow founding members Mark Greening and Tim Bagshaw, would form Electric Wizard in 1993. The trio would sign with Rise Above Records and release a self-titled album the next year, performing a style of doom heavily inspired by early Black Sabbath. However the band's sound would drift more into a more misanthropic sound inspired by black metal, releasing Come My Fanatics... in January 1997 and setting their mark with a milestone in the doom metal genre.

Electric Wizard would attempt to tour and build their following but deal with a series of canceled tours over the next few years. Dealing with medical and legal issues the band would eventually work on a third album with Rolf Startin, releasing Dopethrone in November 2000, widely praised and considered by many to be their magnum opus. Ultimately it would be labeled "Album of The Decade" by Terrorizer Magazine. Electric Wizard would begin touring more frequently including the band's first tours of the United States. A follow-up in Let Us Prey would be released in April 2002 to fairly positive reviews. Following a tour of North America Oborn and Greening would have a falling out with the latter leaving the band. Following a fall tour with Cathedral alongside new drummer Justin Greaves, Bagshaw would soon follow and form Ramesses with Greening and Adam Richardson.

Oborn at one point considered starting a new band but instead opted to re-boot Electric Wizard with Greaves, bassist Rob Al-Issa and Liz Buckingham, who would become his songwriting partner. Revealing this new lineup labeled "Electric Wizard II" and "The Electric Wizard", We Live would see release in June 2004. The band's first known performance as a four-piece was at BBC Maida Vale Studios in London, England on 2 February 2005. A headlining appearance at Roadburn Festival followed along with two short tours of Europe and the band's first (and to date, only) tour of Australia. Following a tour in 2006 alongside Cathedral and Grand Magus in 2006, Justin Greaves would be fired with Shaun Rutter as his replacement. The band would work on a sixth studio album.

In 2007, the band would start working with producer Liam Watson, famous for working with The White Stripes among other bands. This stemmed from Oborn hearing about the studio and finding out about their vintage equipment that was 100% analog. The band would also do a tour of Japan with Church of Misery in the spring. In November 2007, Electric Wizard released Witchcult Today, recorded entirely using vintage audio equipment from the 1970s and had a sound resembling 70s occult rock. Praised by critics (Notably mainstream publications such as Pitchfork) and selling well, Witchcult Today began a new era for the band, ushering in new fans and inspiring countless similar bands in it's wake.

Electric Wizard's touring would cut back as the band would recruit a new bassist in Tasos Danazoglou. In 2010, Electric Wizard would release their seventh album Black Masses, produced by Liam Watson to further critical acclaim. The band would follow with a short tour with Moss as support before a full European tour followed the next year. In 2012 the band would attain a new rhythm section and release a new EP in Legalise Drugs and Murder. Electric Wizard also headlined the 2012 edition of Maryland Deathfest on May 27, their first show in the United States in ten years. By the end of 2012 Mark Greening would rejoin the band and start rehearsing new material with them, stating "The whole feud had gone on so fuckin’ long that we forgot what it was. As soon as we jammed it was over."

Electric Wizard would begin work on an eighth studio album in 2013 and 2014, working again with Liam Watson. The band's first known performances with Greening back in the band was the 2013 edition of Roadburn Festival, headlined by Electric Wizard. Oborn also curated the festival as the "Electric Acid Orgy". More festival appearances followed throughout 2013 with a new album slated for release at the time. While the new album was intended for a 2013 release it would be delayed as Electric Wizard would leave Rise Above Records, citing a falling out with the label. They had been one of the longest tenured bands on the label at nearly twenty years.

Electric Wizard's eighth Time to Die would be released in 2014 on their own label Witchfinder Records with distribution from Spinefarm Records. It was recorded at Toerag Studios and Skyhammer Studios with involvement from Chris Fielding, Liam Watson and James Plotkin. Time to Die again gained the band a great deal of critical praise though also polarized some listeners. Following an appearance at Temples Festival, Mark Greening would be fired from the band a second time and thus leading to a falling out with Greening and the band. A legal battle would ensue which would temporarily prevent further pressings of Time To Die. Simon Poole would rejoin the band in his place.

Electric Wizard would embark on their most extensive tour in years, touring North America in support of Time To Die with all of the dates selling out. Obtaining their own equipment the band would self-produce their ninth album and release Wizard Bloody Wizard in 2017 to positive reviews, touring the world in support of the album.

Personal Life

Along wit being an avid fan of extreme metal, Oborn is also known for being a fan of vintage and Hammer horror films, collecting horror movies and vintage movie posters.

Since 2003 he has been married to American guitarist Liz Buckingham.

Bands

• Morbicus - Guitar (1988 - 1989)
• Lord of Putrefaction - Guitar, Vocals (1989 - 1991)
• Thy Grief Eternal - Guitar, Vocals (1991 - 1992)
• Eternal - Guitar, Vocals (1992 - 1993)
• Electric Wizard - Guitar, Vocals (1993 - Present)

Selected Discography

With Electric Wizard

• Electric Wizard (1994, Rise Above Records)
• Come My Fanatics... (1997, Rise Above Records)
• Supercoven (EP) (1998, Bad Acid; 1999, Southern Lord Records)
• Dopethrone (2000, Rise Above Records)
• Let Us Prey (2002, Rise Above Records)
• We Live (2004, Rise Above Records)
• Witchcult Today (2007, Rise Above Records)
• Black Masses (2010, Rise Above Records)
• Time to Die (2014, Spinefarm)
• Wizard Bloody Wizard (2017, Spinefarm)

Misc. Band Releases

• Morbicus - Morbid Brutality (Demo) (1988, Self-Released)
• Lord of Putrefaction - Necromantic (Demo) (1989, Self-Released)
• Lord of Putrefaction - Rehearsal / Demo (Demo) (1990, Self-Released)
• Lord of Putrefaction - Wings Over A Black Funeral (Demo) (1990, Self-Released)
• Lord of Putrefaction - Lord of Putrefaction/Mortal Remains (Split with Mortal Remains) (1991, Nuclear Gore)
• Thy Grief Eternal - ...On Blackened Wings (Demo) (1992, Self-Released)
• Eternal - Lucifer's Children (EP) (1993, Rise Above Records)
• Pre-Electric Wizard 1989-1994 (Compilation) (2006, Rise Above Records)

Guest Appearances

• Moss - Cthonic Rites (Producer) (2005, Aurora Borealis)
• Moss - Sub Templum (Producer) (2008, Rise Above Records)
• Cough - Still They Pray (Organ, Producer) (2016, Relapse)