We all know the Electric Wizard's spell at this point. Slow, asphyxiated riffs mechanically roll to the loyal beat of classic doom metal while reverberating distortion emits layers of static weight heaving between each and every booming note. The percussion beats are simple and sweet, and the bass clearly makes its mark in the ritual as it's placed right next to the shelling riffs. Outside influences of obscure rock bands from the 1960s and 70s pop in the Wizard's incantation every once in a while, although the gospel of doom is the band's first priority. This is pretty much the overall theme of "Black Masses," barring the occasional tempo shift or foreign touch floating in a pint-sized amount of the guitar work.

Although "Black Masses" isn't a large transition for Electric Wizard, it still has some mighty fine material that shows the English stoners in prime form. The first pair of tunes are gyrating rockers cycling Electric Wizard's signature moves with complete power and attitude, whereas the blistering "The Nightchild" is grim and beastly, yielding a skeleton-scaring riff of the evilest breed. "Turn off Your Mind" and "Scorpio Curse" again demonstrate Electric Wizard painting a self-portrait of the group's excellent identity through the massive guitar work and sinister atmosphere. I'm not exactly grabbed by the down-tempo plodding of "Satyr IX," but the grooving sequences deliriously roll on and on in an endless cycle of the same burning riff and pattern pounding again and again for what feels like an eternity of stoned psychosis; the overall result wins me over every time.