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About
Wizards of Wiznan
Slow, distorted riffs and abrasive vocals anchor Wizards of Wiznan's blackened sludge metal. The Swiss band builds heavy passages from doom-weight guitars, measured drums and melancholic melodies, then breaks the tension with harsher black metal influences. Clean singing and atmospheric guitar lines cut through the guttural vocals, giving their songs room to move between grief and confrontation. Earlier stoner doom grooves still surface beneath the darker arrangements. Their music draws on death, illness, personal loss and the troubled history of Switzerland's Valais region.
Band history
History
Wizards of Wiznan formed in 2019 in Nendaz, in the Valais region of Switzerland. The band drew inspiration from its mountainous surroundings and local history, particularly the stories of plague, persecution and suffering associated with the region. Its early music was rooted in stoner and doom metal, built around heavy riffs, extended compositions and a strong rhythmic foundation.
The group's first official release, Experimental Brew, arrived through MTAF Records in 2021. The four-track EP established their initial musical direction before the band began exploring darker and more aggressive territory.
During 2022, Wizards of Wiznan recorded material for their first full-length album and signed with Argonauta Records. No Light Has No Shadow was released on September 29, 2023. Across five extended tracks, the album introduced a stronger blackened sludge identity, with distorted guitars, guttural vocals, atmospheric melodies and passages of doom metal. Its lyrical themes explored death, illness, loss and the historical suffering of people in Valais. Songs including Feed the Fire and La Sorcière du Végenand drew directly on regional accounts of plague and witch persecution.
The album attracted coverage from independent metal publications, including Metal Epidemic and Mostly Metal, which highlighted the band's atmospheric songwriting and contrast between heavy riffs and quieter passages.
In October 2026, Wizards of Wiznan released the single Ephemeral through Highbex Records. The group subsequently announced a three-track EP, The Death Of What Could Have Been, scheduled for December 11, 2026. The new material continues their exploration of loss, human suffering and perseverance through blackened sludge metal. Tim de Gieter handled mixing and mastering at Much Luv Studio.
The Death Of What Could Have Been is a three-track blackened sludge metal EP from Swiss band Wizards of Wiznan, scheduled for release on December 11, 2026 through Highbex Records. The record follows their 2023 debut album No Light Has No Shadow and continues their exploration of grief, suffering and the darker aspects of the human condition.
Opening track We Are The Plague begins with a gradual atmospheric build before distorted guitars, harsh vocals and heavy drum patterns take over. Its arrangement moves between oppressive riffs and melancholic melodies, framing a bleak reflection on humanity.
Ephemeral follows with layered guitars and measured rhythms, exploring the intimate experience of personal loss. The song was released separately as a digital single on October 2, 2026.
Closing track Abyssborne builds around sombre riffs, intense vocals and an emerging guitar melody that introduces a sense of hope and perseverance into the surrounding darkness.
The recording features Marc Bourban on guitar and clean vocals, Robin Délèze on bass and harsh vocals, Adrien Bornet on guitar and synthesizer, and Ludovic Bornet on drums. Tim de Gieter mixed and mastered the EP at Much Luv Studio.
