Kult of the Wizard is Anything but Heartless

Hailing from Minneapolis, Kult of the Wizard quietly put out a pair of instrumental EPs in 2013 and 2014, but the foursome’s latest EP, The White Wizard, deserves to attract a good deal of attention from the doom crowd, especially those who are especially transfixed by the melodic tones, occult themes, and blues influences of The Devil’s Blood and especially Witch Mountain. It’s the first time the outfit has recorded with a singer, and Mahle Roth puts in a scene-stealing performance, boasting an almighty bellow that injects the music a welcome dose of mystique and soul.
As strong as the entire EP is, it’s the cover of Heart’s 1977 tune “Devil Delight” that makes the biggest impression. One of the heaviest – not to mention underrated – deep cuts in Heart’s discography, the track was already doomy by nature when it appeared on the Magazine album, but Kult of the Wizard slow it down even more, crank up the heaviness even more, and most impressively, Roth matches Ann Wilson’s singing step for step. A brilliant choice of cover, it also shows just how much potential Kult of the Wizard has.

Listen to the cover of “Devil Delight” below, and check out the original track below too, if you’re not already familiar.

The White Wizard EP is available as a name-your-price download via Bandcamp.