Australian quartet The Wizar’d pride themselves on being “one of doom’s best-kept secrets,” and for fans of the subgenre, that may very well be true. On their past three albums, their self-professed “vintage” and “mystical” aesthetic certainly conjured icons like Black Sabbath, Ghost, and Pagan Altar. The same holds true for Subterranean Exile, so those looking for a sufficiently retro yet invigorating and faithful slice of down and dirty heavy metal spirituality will no doubt be satisfied. But, the fact that it doesn’t do much to elevate or refresh the style—focusing instead of run-of-the-mill templates, songwriting, and effects—means that it’s only ever operating as a bare minimum entry into the field. That, plus the [purposefully?] irritating vocals of guitarist Ol’ Rusty, means that Subterranean Exile probably won’t appeal to those looking for something deeper, newer, and more melodic.
According to the band, Subterranean Exile uses an “audio alchemical process called ‘Arcana Metal Magick’” whose “sinister energy is converted by transmutation to a frequency form that can be held in a lower plane.” Mercifully, it only lasts 35 minutes and 25 seconds—apparently, that number holds some sort of supernatural power— and originally, two of its songs were going to be part of a new EP following 2013’s Ancient Tome of Arcane Knowledge. However, a “spectral voice” told ‘Ol Rusty to save those tracks for a full-length follow-up that would be seen as an “arcane metal masterwork.” Undoubtedly, those who already dig The Wizar’d will view the LP as precisely that, but even the most diehard stylistic enthusiasts will probably admit that more could’ve been done here in terms of originality, intrigue, and sheer listenability.
The Wizar'd (Courtesy of Cruz Del Sur Music)
That’s not to say that there’s nothing to enjoy here, though. On the contrary, their overarching sound is commendably accurate in terms of capturing the malevolent trenches and timbres of 1970s occult rock music. In particular, the opening title track has some tasty, if simplistic, guitar chords; “Wizard’s Revenge” and “Master of the Night” make appealing use of double-tracked riffs a la Queen or Led Zeppelin; “Ecstatic Visions Held Within the Monastic Tower” offers a more ominously wicked and pastoral interlude, and finisher “Dark Forces” possess the emotional finality and downtrodden verses you’d want to close an album like this.
For sure, The Wizar’d accomplish what they go for on Subterranean Exile; the problem is that that goal isn’t adequately surprising, wide-ranging, or tolerable. Primarily, ‘Ol Rusty’s theatricality and tone are an acquired taste, to say the least, and even when you become accustomed to his performance, there’s almost nothing to latch onto in terms of hooks or other memorable phrasing. Rather, it’s all very generic, and sadly, the same holds true for almost all of the music. In other words, there’s such little innovation and distinctiveness here that it ends up feeling more like a self-aware pastiche than it does a striving and justified new take on a tried-and-true formula.
Those who flock to this kind of metal will likely look past those criticisms and enjoy Subterranean Exile for what it is. If that includes you, then, by all means, blast it as loudly as possible and get all of the enjoyment you can from it. On the other hand, it’s almost objectively underwhelming from a songwriting and composition standpoint (even if the vocals don’t bother you). Overall, then, it’s undeniable that The Wizar’d pull off their emulation well; it’s just that they could've done more to make it their own.
Score: 6/10
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