Time to Die

Time to Die
Studio album by Electric Wizard
Released	September 29 2014
Recorded	October 2013 - March 2014 at Toe Rag Studios & Skyhammer Studio in England
Genre	Doom Metal, Occult Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Length	65:26
Label	Spinefarm Records Witchfinder Records
Producer	Jus Oborn
Electric Wizard chronology
Legalise Drugs and Murder (2012)	Time to Die (2014)	Wizard Bloody Wizard (2017)

Time to Die is the eighth studio album by the Dorset doom metal band Electric Wizard. Recorded through 2013 going into the Spring of 2014, Time to Die would be released on 29 September 2014 (UK/Europe) and 30 September 2014 (North America) to critical acclaim and continuing the themes of it's two previous records, also so holding the longest gap between Electric Wizard albums at nearly four years.

Notably it would be the first Wizard album after the band's publicized falling out with Rise Above Records and thus released jointly with Spinefarm Records and the band's own imprint Witchfinder Records. Time to Die is also the first (and only) album to feature original drummer Mark Greening, his last appearance with the band being on 2002's Let Us Prey. Lastly excluding bonus tracks and the added silence at the end of Dopethrone, Time to Die is Electric Wizard's longest studio album at over sixty-five minutes and the only album (again excluding bonus tracks) to feature nine tracks rather than six or eight as compared to prior works.

Background

Development on Time to Die would begin as far back as 2012, when original drummer Mark Greening had rejoined the band after a decade away. Electric Wizard would return to Toe Rag Studios with producer Liam Watson but additional recording would be handled by Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio and mastering would be handled by James Plotkin. Bassist Glenn Charman would leave the group before recording had begun, leaving guitarist and vocalist Jus Oborn to record the bass under the session name "Count Orlof".

Originally the album was planned for release in 2013. However, Jus Oborn stated in an interview with the Vela Negra that a new LP was recorded, but cannot be released due to complications with Rise Above "We have a new LP but it cannot be released. Rise Above Records have a lawyer to stop us releasing records or even using our name. Of course we are fighting...but with the law it is all money, money, money.... Maybe our fans will convince them to treat us with respect.". They had been signed to Rise Above Records for 19 years, longer than any other band on the label. Electric Wizard would also publicly criticize Rise Above in an issue of Decibel Magazine. In an interview with CVLT Nation Oborn also cited a label change due to creative control and avoiding the concept of limited, collectible vinyl. On 17 April 2014 it would be announced that Electric Wizard would sign to Spinefarm Records for a worldwide deal, along with publishing through their own personal imprint Witchfinder Records.

Further details on the album would be revealed including the album art on 1 July and later a digital single for "I Am Nothing" on 14 July. A single for SadioWitch would be released on 29 September, featuring a 4-track demo version of "We Love The Dead" as it's b-side. Time to Die would be released on 29 September 2014 (UK/Europe) and 30 September 2014 (North America). At the time of release Clayton Burgess would join the band on bass and Simon Poole would rejoin, as Mark Greening would be kicked out of the band a second time due to re-emerging conflicts and a poor performance at Temples Festival. Greening would eventually sue the band over unpaid royalties for the recording of the album and have Time to Die pulled from shelves circa September 2015.

Time to Die would also chart in several countries. In France it would peak at #148 on the SNEP Charts.. In Belgium it would peak at #86 on The Ultratop Wallonia. In Finland it would peak at #14, their highest charting studio album and second only to the Electric Wizard / Reverend Bizarre split (Which peaked at #8.). Time to Die would also peak at #5 on the UK Rock and Metal Albums, their highest chart in their native country. Lastly Time to Die would be Electric Wizard's highest charting album in the United States, peaking at #64 on the Billboard 200, along with #10 on the Independent Albums Chart and #16 on the US Top Rock Albums Chart.

Time to Die would attain mostly positive reception from critics, though some critics would not be as kind to the record. While The Obelisk did speak positively of Time to Die the review aired uncertainty of how far the band can push this sound before it sounded "watered down or losing it's visceral edge.". Metal Injection would praise the album as "a gloriously hateful record. Seldom boring, always seething and hateful.". Blabbermouth, awarding an 8/10, would note the "excruciating" length but ultimately praise the album throughout. Kim Kelly, writing for Pitchfork, would award the album a 7.9/10 score, praising the Sabbath worship and psychedelic undertones, while closing with stating that "It’s rare to see a band as established as Electric Wizard come back from a slump with renewed vigor and a fresh shot of hellfire coursing through their veins, but with Time to Die, they’ve both surpassed expectations and proved that they’re still as vital as they ever were." Lastly the album would be heavily praised by It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine in a review by Haz Wheaton, who would actually join the band as their bassist in 2018.

Tracklist

All songs written by Electric Wizard.

• 1. Incense For The Damned (10:42)
• 2. Time to Die (7:49)
• 3. I Am Nothing (11:31)
• 4. Destroy Those Who Love God (3:14)
• 5. Funeral of Your Mind (7:08)
• 6. We Love The Dead (9:05)
• 7. SadioWitch (4:10)
• 8. Lucifer's Slaves (8:40)
• 9. Saturn Dethroned (3:07)

Personnel

• Jus Oborn - Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Recording, Design, Producer
• Liz Buckingham - Guitar, Design, Photography
• Mark Greening - Drums
• Chris Fielding - Recording, Mixing
• Liam Watson - Recording
• James Plotkin - Mastering
• Sam Scott Hunter - Photography

External Links

• / Discogs