Black Masses

Released in 2010, Black Masses represents a pivot toward a more 'ugly' and 'sleazy' sound for Electric Wizard. Produced by Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios, the album utilizes vintage analog equipment to achieve a specific tape-saturated grit that distinguishes it from the cleaner production of Witchcult Today. It is the only album to feature bassist Tas Danazoglou, whose presence contributes to the record's particularly heavy, driving low-end. Musically, it leans heavily into the band's obsession with 1970s exploitation films and occultism, featuring tracks like Venus in Furs and Satyr IX that emphasize slow-burn tension and massive, repetitive riffs. While some critics at the time found the production too murky or the performances too loose, the album has since been vindicated as a masterclass in atmosphere, capturing a specific 'drug-induced apocalyptic' energy that few of their peers can replicate. It stands as a bridge between their foundational stoner-doom roots and a more experimental, psychedelic horror aesthetic.