Subterranean Exile is my first experience with Australian The Wizar’d and their interpretation of traditional doom metal genre. In what has become customary around 33-35+ minutes the Australians deliver the concoction I found simply curious at first, but as my number of listens to the album grew in number, so I could write an adequate review, I simply found myself not getting enough of it.

Whereas many traditional doom bands somehow eventually can be traced through many degrees of separation to Black Sabbath, The Wizar’d presents an eclectic mix of that, Trouble, St Vitus (due a touch of mysticism), but also an epic presence of Manilla Road, and even some evil with a tongue-in-cheek attitude of Satan’s Host. The Wizar’d doom has little sadness, horror or revulsion attached to it, and even their idea of darkness is mostly presented through catchy melodies and hooky riffs. Whether the band is serious with their lyrics I don’t know, but the feeling in Subterranean Exile is a lot more of expansive vast landscapes and sarcasm, combined in one, rather than being buried somewhere in a dungeon.

Some of the melodies on the album are downright buoyant (opening of the title track) and even uplifting (Long Live the Dead). Some tracks here are choppy prodding, moving into more sweeping territory (Master of the Night), others are more steady driving gallops (Evil in My Heart), and something that begins stately “in the name of Lucifer” can evolve into a similar gallop, only with the feeling I can only describe as happy.

Split across the axis which is an acoustic guitar instrumental Ecstatic Visions Held Within the Monastic Tower, Subterranean Exile has an excellent production with an earthy sound, and bass that sometimes is more stoner metal than heaviness impersonated. The Wizar’d also does an excellent job on their winding slicing slithering guitar solos to which you will inevitably air guitar. The dealbreaker for some may be Ol’ Rusty vocals. He is no Messiah Marcolin or Rob Lowe, but instead is this weepy recoiling schizophrenic creature, which can be both vulnerable and commandeering at the same time. Buttressed by gang vocals (title track), and not left alone by its bandmembers, Ol’ Rusty certainly adds even more uniqueness to The Wizar’d sound.

Exuding that weird happy feeling or laying sacrifices to the altar of darkness (Dark Forces) with some ritual spoken vocals and laughter, Subterranean Exile is an excellent album and deserves your full attention.