Let Us Prey
| Let Us Prey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 25 March 2002[1] | |||
| Genre | Doom metal, stoner metal[2] | |||
| Length | 43:51 | |||
| Label | Rise Above JVC Victor (Japan) The Music Cartel (US) Candlelight (US reissue) | |||
| Producer | Jus Oborn and John Stephens | |||
| Electric Wizard chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Original LP Cover | ||||
 The Music Cartel LP version | ||||
| Repress LP Cover | ||||
 Rise Above 2LP version | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
Let Us Prey is the fourth studio album by English stoner/doom metal band Electric Wizard. It was released through Rise Above Records in 2002 and was the last album to feature Electric Wizard's original line-up. After its release, Tim Bagshaw and Mark Greening went on to form Ramesses.[4]
The vinyl edition was originally pressed by The Music Cartel on a single LP. Rise Above later reissued the vinyl version as a 2LP with a bonus track, "Mother of Serpents". This track also appears on the Japanese version of the album as well as the CD reissues on both Rise Above and Candlelight Records.
Musical style
[edit]Let Us Prey was a continuation of the more abrasive doom metal sound of their previous album, Dopethrone. It featured more experimentation and guitar layering on some songs. It is also unusual because it is much shorter (43 minutes and 51 seconds) than other Electric Wizard albums (with the exception of their eponymous debut album and Wizard Bloody Wizard), and does not include printed lyrics, making them difficult to decipher.
Speaking to Kerrang! in July 2009, Jus Oborn remembered:
"I think that was our Genesis record. We were all just about the studio, and we wanted to create music using the studio. We were really into the idea of recording then, this pretty technical album. We wanted to be experimental, like trying out some horror movie type stuff, just to see how it works. Each song was like an idea, we didn't write it. We just got an idea, and went with that for how we wanted that to sound."[4]
Track listing
[edit]Original
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "...A Chosen Few" | 6:35 |
| 2. | "We, the Undead" | 4:29 |
| 3. | "Master of Alchemy"
| 9:23 |
| 4. | "The Outsider" | 9:19 |
| 5. | "Night of the Shape" | 4:03 |
| 6. | "Priestess of Mars" | 10:01 |
Bonus song on Japanese version and reissues
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Mother of Serpents" | 5:56 |
Personnel
[edit]- Jus Oborn - guitar, vocals
- Tim Bagshaw - bass
- Mark Greening - drums, piano
- Paul Sax - violin on "Night of the Shape"
- Stephen O'Malley - artwork
- All lyrics - Jus Oborn
- All music - Electric Wizard
Release history
[edit]| Year | Label | Format | Country | Out of Print? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Rise Above | CD | U.K. | Yes | Original CD release |
| 2002 | JVC Victor | CD | Japan | Yes | Includes bonus track |
| 2002 | The Music Cartel | CD | U.S. | Yes | |
| 2002 | The Music Cartel | LP | U.S. | Yes | features slightly different cover art |
| 2006 | Rise Above | 2LP | U.K. | Yes | Includes bonus track; features slightly different cover art; limited 1100 copies (100 clear; 500 deep red; 500 black) |
| 2006 | Rise Above | DigiCD | U.K. | No | Remastered version; includes bonus track |
| 2008 | Candlelight | DigiCD | U.S. | No | Remastered version; includes bonus track |
References
[edit]- ^ "Electric Wizard - Let Us Prey - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives".
- ^ "Electric Wizard - Let Us Prey". Metal Storm.
- ^ "Let Us Prey - Electric Wizard". Allmusic.
- ^ a b Ruskell, Nick. Kerrang! #1269, July 2009. Treasure Chest. An Intimate Portrait Of Life In Rock. Jus Oborn, p.60
