Electric Wizards is a superbly written book about what JR Moores calls ‘heavy music’. Not heavy metal, heavy music, which he persuasively and wittily argues includes musical artists as diverse as, for instance, Black Sabbath, Babes in Toyland, Funkadelic and all kinds of bands and singers in between. The book’s scope renders all questions about who’s been included or excluded neither here nor there. Of possible greater concern is one’s dislike of some of the bands and artists included but as Moores would undoubtedly state, one person’s aural torture is another’s musical head trip. Also, Moores’ fabulous style (no filler or dull sentences here) mean these kinds of quibbles disappear as he makes even the most unlikeable heavy music makers interesting and possibly deserving of rediscovery (see the magnificent chapter on Steve ‘Marmite’ Albini). Fed up with the bland musical fare offered up by radio and ‘music tv’ this is the book for you, and once you hear doors slamming and the neighbours banging on your walls you pretty much know you’re in the presence of heavy music - just make sure JR Moores is there to guide you.

Electric Wizards (A Tapestry of Heavy Music 1968 to the Present) – Publ. by Reaktion Books - £20.00

Steven Long