Over the Top

White Wizzard's full-length debut, Over the Top, released in 2010 under Earache Records, is forever imprinted in my mind's eye as, along with Enforcer's Diamonds and Skull's Fist's Heavier Than Metal EP, it firmly introduced me to the wonderfully blooming scene which is now commonly known and referred to as the new wave of heavy metal, or NWOTHM for short.

At the time I was skating on thin ice, living on the streets of Vancouver, B.C. etching a miserable living out of dumpster diving and wondering how or when it would all end. Sure, they're were good times and good finds (like the 200$ in that snowboarding jacket or the odd Zip-loc bag full of weed) but most of the time, it was a miserable existence. What kept me afloat during this dark period of my life were all the great bands and killer tunes I gleaned while scrabbling by under those incessantly rainy and grey, wintry skies. Many a stupendously drug fueled night was spent hunkering beneath a bridge (clichéd but true), my sole and prized possessions a sleeping bag and 4GB Sony MP3 player - both of which I defended fiercely - reveling and escaping with the latest order of the day, be it by Cauldron, Striker, Holy Grail or any of the above mentioned. That said, I distinctly remember Over the Top as it simply sounded so fresh and genial, like a promise of warmer climes and times to come.

The self-titled opener kicks off with such freedom-instilling fury and grooving grace...how can one not stick around for more?! The fluid and highly melodic twin guitar harmonies, backed by wickedly mellifluous and resounding bass lines and relaxed but throttling drum beats, propelled me towards dawn on an ever-surging wave of optimism without which I'd have succumbed completely to my demons - and probably not the festive, leather and stud clad, goatee'd rocker depicted on the cover but rather, the downright nefarious and narcotic, destructive kind. At this point I ask ye, how can any music lover not fall for the engagingly fist-pumping Iron Maiden/Judas Priest overtones contained herein, be they in the form of the immensely catchy and gripping, back-to-back highlights, "40 Deuces" and "High Roller", which yield super cool (albeit cheesy to some) choruses and downright sizzling and freewheeling, minor, pentatonic based solos when they're expected - and needed most?! The spectacular lead trade-offs and backing bass line on "40 Deuces" give way to an outstanding post solo bridge so portentously delivered to the tune of the Wyatt "Screaming Demon" Anderson's killer vocal line:

"Buy the ticket - Take the ride - Pedal to the floor
Gonzo lust for life - Kick ass! Alive forever more!!"

"High Roller" is as swiftly melodic and timeless as its Enforcer doppelgänger or past classic worthies such as Riot's "Outlaw" or Ozzy Osbourne's "Flying High Again". Man, it's also right up there with Holy Grail's "My Last Attack", Monument's "Carry On" and Midnight Malice's "Flying Low" as far as brain searing, ticklish adulation goes! In other words, this gem carved a similar unforgettable path in the mind as ruts from rain water.

Although the Wizzard's original front man, John Paul Luna, and drummer, Tyler Meahl, went on to form Holy Grail after the equally suave High Speed GTO EP, founder and guitarist/bassist Jon Leon did a fine job of hiring on Anderson, as his dynamic and upper-ranged vocals readily matched the band's non-committal charm and endearing West Coast flair. Over the Top in this sense was a major step forward for the L.A. metallers - detractors and naysayers should do well to remember that, even though the band's chemistry suffered terribly from bad blood over the next few years and releases.

Tracks such as "Live Free Or Die" and "Strike of the Viper" serve as further liberating wrecking crew/highway trolling anthems, while the eminently revved up "Out of Control" takes the cake in terms of sheer celebrated brawn and heavy metal hurrah; as much as I dig the first four tracks, this one's my favorite due to its all-out, ballsy opening bass line and slickly sliding shuffle riff, which is a dead ringer for Angel's Witch's "Sweet Danger", as well as the crown rattling, percussion tap-arama on behalf of Jesse Appelhans. Anderson's sharp as a tack verses and overall alacrity also contribute to make this one a winner on all fronts, not least of which its monstrous momentum and neo-classical bridge as well as fire-branding, searing solo section. Suffice to say, I replayed this track - with its timeless and oh-so poignant refrain - countless times when I was down and out.

I'll now lay off the wanton fan-boy-ism a bit and explain why Over the Top fails to attain the elusive 95% score. "Strike of the Viper"'s lyrics are a mite trite: "Can you feel the strike of the viper/6-6-6 (2x)/Come and join the cult of the snake/Satan's calling you/Come and join the legions of Hell/Fight to keep it true!". (Insert despondently head-shaking emoji here!). In this regards, "Death Race" also fails to win first prize but to its credit, its crankily chromatic instrumentation fits it like a heavy metal vanity plate in a similar way as Strattson's "Speed Machine" or Savage Master's "Death Rides The Highway". The leads are particularly feral and exotic, which counts as a big plus. Alternatively, the quixotic "Iron Goddess of Vengeance" and closing, titular track (note its unapologetically rollicking bass line!) are along the lines of future WW fare, that is, progressive and experimental, so prominent on its latest release, last week's Infernal Overdrive, which positively features Anderson and original (from the EP) shred master James J.LaRue back on the map. To his credit (and it wouldn't do not to honor him alongside his confrères), Erik Kluiber provides solid electric axe contributions on "High Roller" and "Striker of the Viper"....

All in all, White Wizzard's Over the Top is a very memorable release for me; there aren't really any weak tracks as they all rock with a capital R. Although a few possess slightly less pizazz the winners mentioned above make this one a keeper. As well, the double CD version is totally worth it as it features fantastic, firmly nailed covers of Cloven Hoof's "Gates of Gehenna" and Judas Priest's "Heading out to the Highway". May the metal Gods bless and protect those who pay it due respect!

"White Wizzard's here to rock you all
In a raging metal storm
Riding on the second wave
Of a new electric storm

Rebel souls and rivet heads
Will make the hammer fall
Break the chains and go insane
Heavy metal is the law!"

White Wizzard is one of the bands that are spearheading the so-called new wave of traditional heavy metal, which is a movement that I am a pretty big fan of. This new movement has brought us some pretty damn good bands that I really enjoy. I'll take these aspiring Iron Maidens and throwback bands any day of the week over the latest metalcore or emo band that pumps out the same garbage every year, but even then, a lot of the real metal bands nowadays either completely and miserably fail to create a substantial or impressive album, or they try far too hard to copy their influences and end up sounding a little too much like a gimmick or throwback band.

White Wizzard (despite the rather awkward name) are actually one of the better bands in this movement. I have known the title track from this album for a while and have always liked it, so I decided to check out the whole album. I must say, this isn't bad at all. Are these guys the new Iron Maiden that they are trying so hard to be? Not at all, heck, not even close. They need a serious overhaul in the guitar department, a way better vocalist, and some better lyrics to come even close to attaining that. The only reason I compare them to the British legends is because these guys are nailing the Iron Maiden sound on the head. They have what it takes to put together some very good stuff, but they are majorly lacking originality. Doing a great job of sounding like your influences can be one side of the coin, but if you are going to do that, then a band should bring a heaping helping of their own flavor to the table. The band does this a little bit, but not enough to truly break the mold. If I wanted to listen to something like this, I could just throw on Powerslave, an album that literally blows this one out of the water.

The song structures, the basslines, the vocal style, even some of the drums all resemble Iron Maiden. A few of these tracks just scream Powerslave to me, but the sound is severely lacking the dynamics to pull it off. The band generally does an excellent job of putting together some great songs, full of changing tempos, lead breaks, and some impressive complex sections here and there. There are some songs that are put together fantastically and written very well (there are a few that aren't good, but I'll get to that), but the more I listen to this, there are a few things that are a detriment to the album.

The first and most obvious is the set of extremely weak lyrics. Each and every song on here is obnoxiously lacking well written and original lyrics. Songs glorifying the genre they play? Check. Songs talking about Satan and/or Hell? Check. Songs about the streets and partying? Check. Song about violence or war? Check. Obligatory "epic" song? Even have a check there too! I bet you can't guess what's wrong with the epic on this album! The lyrics suck, and it tries embarrassingly hard to be an Iron Maiden song. Usually lyrics never bother me, but songs like "Out of Control" just aren't cool at all and end up being a little annoying. Yeah, we get it, hail rock and roll, metallic overload yeah yeah. It gets old quick, and hurts the album in the long run in my opinion. The brains behind this band, Jon Leon, is a brilliant musician, he writes the riffs, basslines, and he puts the songs together; but his lyrics are pretty damn bland.

The other big thing that hurts this album, is the fact that it sounds forced sometimes. The lack of originality is one of the factors that goes into this. There was huge potential for this to be absolutely amazing, but it comes across as trying to be metal, instead of just playing their music, which is a very bad thing in my opinion. A band should express themselves lyrically in a natural and creative way, but it sounds like these got their lyrical influences simply from listening to the NWOBHM. The result is a band that has serious potential to actually be one of the best modern metal bands, but they present all of their musical prowess in a rather adolescent way half of the time. Even the two most complex tracks on the album, "White Wizzard", the awful and annoying "Death Race", and the ever so cleverly named (not) "Iron Goddess of Vengeance" are some of the weaker tracks on the album, because they are forced to try to sound a certain way. The latter is almost a blatant Iron Maiden rip-off, and it falls on its face, wasting a good seven and a half minutes of the album's run time. The band should have stuck with the formula used on the other songs, rather than trying to literally be Iron Maiden.

While I do have faults with the poor lyricism and overall lack of originality; the bad does not outweigh the good. The majority of these tracks are very enjoyable and, for the most part, put together with creativity and skill. Tracks like "Strike of the Viper", "Live Free or Die", "40 Deuces", and the title track are all excellent songs. Some of the riffs are great, and some of the bridge sections are fantastic. The album also has a general continuity and consistency that really makes it a great listen as a whole, winning it big points for me. I also really like the riffs that Jon Leon writes, they are usually fantastic and very creative. I really hope that this guy finds a stable lineup for his band, as he has some serious talent. His bass lines are top freakin' notch, some of them are actually very unique and would make Steve Harris proud. His contribution to the music is outstanding, as I said, this dude writes the songs, the lyrics, the riffs, the bass lines, everything. He nails everything except for lyrics, and if he would develop a strong sense of originality, we could be seeing this band do something amazing.

The musicianship on this album is an interesting case in my opinion, everybody is fantastic, but the guitar player is the weak link. The singer is great, he does an excellent job leading the band along. His voice also fits the music brilliantly, even though I am not a fan of those singers who are caught halfway between Bruce Dickinson and James Hetfield. The rhythm section is seriously top notch. Jon Leon is an extremely good bass player, even if he really is like a fucking sequel to Steve Harris. He does an excellent job of writing and playing far above average bass lines that not only support the song, but actually outshine the guitarist. I'm not kidding, the bass in this is way more impressive than the guitarist ever is. The drummer is also fantastic, he plays very adept and creative drum lines that (shocker) remind me of Nicko McBrain sometimes. The guitar player actually has some excellent leads here and there that (you'll never guess) are reminiscent of Iron Maiden. His performance is actually really good, with some interesting bits in a few places, but when your glorifying and worshiping a genre that glorifies and worships the guitar, you should put some more effort into it, especially if you are going to rip off Iron Fuckin' Maiden.

Despite its flaws, White Wizzard's Over the Top is a great album. This is one of the better albums from the NWOTHM and it is a great listen for someone who is sick of the usual metal going on nowadays (me). The album is a real treat with some great string work, especially those awesome bass lines. When I listen to this, I find myself focusing on the bass. The great production also has the bass turned up a lot, which is a plus in my book. If you don't mind dumb lyrics and if you love Iron Maiden, you'll love this. If you don't like Iron Maiden, yeah, you'll hate this. I actually really enjoy this, it seriously is a shame that this band cannot keep a stable lineup, I'd be curious to see if they could do some really great records. I wonder if they developed a sense of originality for their next two albums, I guess I'll find out. I hear they aren't good though, which is a shame.

If you are digging around in the NWOTHM trying to find some good stuff, this is seriously worth your time, but I'd recommend checking out Striker from Canada, that band is better than this one in every single way. Ambush from Sweden is by far the best band from this movement, the two albums from them are untouchable, but where does Over the Top sit in the NWOTHM hierarchy? It definitely has a seat at that table, but it isn't the special guest. It is actually a little overrated if you ask me. It is good at first, but the second half of the album is very weak. Overall though, this album is a great listen, but the album's structural integrity is cut short by a serious lack of originality. I would recommend checking this out, it's great, just don't expect another Powerslave.

I don’t think White Wizzard needs an introduction, but I’ll give one anyway. They’re an American heavy metal band and part of the so called NWOTHM movement in the last seven or eight years. In my opinion, they’re one of better bands of this movement, but they do have a big flaw, they keep changing line-up. After all, they did have a different line-up on the EP they put out before this album and a different one on the follow-up. OK, that will suffice, now onto the album itself.

The instrumental part is heavily inspired by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest at their best, among other bands, which means it ranges from very good to great. Also, every track has something to help you distingush between them. I will choose just a few examples: the title track has one of the best opening riffs on the album (also, see the video for this song), while Out of Control has a cool bas intro á la Iron Maiden. Speaking of bass, due to good production, it can be heard throughout this album without much trouble. The drums are well played and fit the rest of the music seamlessly.

Wyatt ‘Screamin’ Demon’ Anderson is a great vocalist, arguably among the best vocalists in this movement. Some people compare him to Bruce Dickinson, however, to me, he sounds way more like Rob Halford from his best days. Not only does Wyatt sound like Rob, he also has a great range, just like Rob used to have on, for instance, Painkiller or, maybe a better comparison, Screaming for Vengeance, as well as British Steel.

The edition I heard contains two cover songs, Gates of Gehenna by Cloven Hoof and Heading Out to the Highway by Judas Priest. They don’t sound too different from the original. In fact, the Judas Priest cover is very, very hard to distinguish from the original due to many reasons, one of them being Wyatt’s voice; on the other hand, the Cloven Hoof cover is much easier to distinguish from the original. Another song that gets a mention is Iron Goddess of Vengeance (present on all editions); it’s just not as enjoyable as the rest of the album.

So far, White Wizzard have managed to put out some of the best newer traditional heavy metal, including this album, despite all the problems. All in all, this album is undoubtedly worth your time, especially if you’re a fan of either Iron Maiden or Judas Priest or any other traditional heavy metal band. Sure, this band may bring very little truly new to the table, but as long as it’s fun, who cares?

This album is another retro metal and hard rock record influenced by the music of the late seventies and early eighties that should please to young and old people and can permanently play on any rock and roll party, as soundtrack between two hard rock bands during a concert or festival or simply in your car when you hit the open road for summer time. White Wizzard are a really cool band. The vocals are melodic, slightly high pitched and very catchy. The guitar solos are melodic and have all necessary genre trademarks. The bass supports the guitars very well. The drumming is energizing and fits to the ensemble. This is a good alternative to your worn out record from Cloven Hoof, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Marseille and so on. This band is surely a great live act, too.

Even though there's nothing wrong with this band, the four or five guys that recently lived many confusing line-up changes add nothing new to the genre and are just another retro metal band. This is a sad thing as they have the talent to do much better and maybe they'll one day find their very own style even if it's difficult to add something new the heavy metal genre nowadays. After some optimism in the beginning, the album gets worn out quite fast and has no true highlight besides the opening anthem and energizing title track "Over The Top" that also has a great video clip. The album goes nowhere and the lack of inspiration is underlined by the useless two cover versions in the end of the record that sound actually quite close to the originals.

Technically, this band has a lot of talent and I still like to listen to this record for special occasions. It's a great feel good record that has the capacity to put a smile on your face after all and let you have a trip to the past. Sometimes, one doesn’t need to always be progressive, experimental and avant-garde and this kind of down to earth record is healthy dose to our ears from time to time even if some originality and constancy is missing on here.

That's why my final rating is still quite positive even if the hype for this band is after all not justified. I hope these guys will carry on, get some stability in their line-up and evolve their skills and sounds. It's definitely already better than Vanderbuyst, Airbourne and all the other hard rock and heavy metal copycats out there.

White Wizzard is one of those bands that gets lots of praise but at the same time lots of shit for what they do and how they do it. First let me give you a little background about them. They are one of the bands in the so called "New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal" movement that seems to be taking place in recent years (there are a lot of people who disagree.) A lot of people also argue that they get way too much attention for what they do and should not be praised so much. Is that true? To some extent, but that's not what this review is for. Before we even begin talking about the music, I want to say that I really like the artwork and it really does catch the eye.

Unlike their previous release the band actually succeeds (somewhat) at what they are trying to do. They improved a whole lot in a lot of aspects and set the bar higher than before. The entire album has a lot of Maiden and Priest influence that when mixed with their own sound produces solid tracks such as "40 Deuces", or "Live Free or Die". Also, unlike the previous release the singer is actually good and knows how to put his voice to good use. He does some impressive falsettos and screams that accompany every track at some point or the other. With that being said the strongest thing on the album are the vocals.

At this point in the review you might be thinking, "Well so far he said good things about the album and he gives it a 74?" I'll be getting to this right now. While the album does have good things going for it, the songs themselves lack the creative punch or stellar execution. I can name only 3 songs that I can enjoy listening to from start to finish. The other tracks are either boring, or just don't really have anything going for them. A big example of this is "Death Race." This is like the "Tailgunner" of Iron Maiden (Which is quite funny actually, because this band really aspires to be just like them in any way possible.) The song has one of the most annoying riffs I've heard in a while, and the melodic aspect to the song is quite bland, which brings me to my biggest gripe with this album.

Blandness, yes. It plagues the entire album and destroys anything from being fun. Take "Iron Goddess of Vengeance" for example, a prominent song on the album that stands as the band's long, epic song. The lyrics are great and so is the solo. But what kills the song is the first five minutes, which is filled with uninspired guitar work that could have been improved if more thought was given. On the other hand, the rest of the song is fine and dandy. The vocals and guitars produce a catchy melody that gives you the goosebumps when listening to it. It's a fun experience, but too bad it only lasts two minutes. If the album had more moments like that it would really be an interesting piece of work that I would see myself enjoying.

-Ralf

Metal revival/retro bands are becoming the order of the day of late, going beyond the established trends of the late 90s and not only emulating, but outright revisiting the past. Every band, in some respect or another, takes something from heavy metal’s very rich history to complement their own pursuits, but a lot of bands go to the point of literally trying to turn back the hands of time a few decades. While I don’t outright disapprove of this approach to things, the results do tend to offer a little less than those who really try to make their sound distinct. And that’s pretty much the sole dilemma for White Wizzard, that they are all but completely living in the past.

While “Over The Top” lives up to its name in the most blatantly unsubtle way possible and is about as innovative as an abacus, it is among the more well executed homage jobs I’ve heard. The riffs are bouncy, nimble, busy, and loaded with familiarity in much the same way that a guitar happy Iron Maiden meets Satan would be, and the presentation is simple enough to fit with the lighthearted lyrical content. Vocalist Wyatt Anderson proves quite capable at belting out high notes with the best of them, and largely tends towards the air-raid siren character of Dickinson’s work on “Number Of The Beast” with a mild dash of Halford here and there.

In other words, this is a perfect band for simply covering the fastest and most fun elements of early 80s NWOBHM, and their music largely stays within the bounds presupposed in said medium. There is maybe a slightly louder character to the production quality, but it would amount to a re-mastering of something that Cloven Hoof put together before their first LP. It is noteworthy that this band covered material from said band, as well as from early 80s Judas Priest album “Point Of Entry”, as it highlights the duel tendencies towards party and occult imagery going on in the lyrics and amounts to this band wearing its sense of happy-go-lucky comedy on their shirtsleeves. Both of these covers are pulled off flawlessly, and prove to be the band’s strong points, but also reveal a weakness in the band’s part in the originality department.

But all lyrical goofiness and unoriginality aside, there are a few songs on here that would be welcome to the ears of anyone who truly loved the good old pre-thrash days of heavy metal when crotch-rockets and joking references to witchcraft were the order of the day. “40 Deuces” is all but a perfect rendition of those galloping Maiden classics heard on the first 3 Dickinson era albums, spiced up with a little bit of riff detailing that was probably influenced by Vivian Campbell. “Live Free Or Die” and “Strike Of The Viper” perfectly capture that up tempo, sing along fanfare approach to songwriting that could pass for radio, but is just a tad too busy for most of today’s lamebrains. The title song goes through the typical mini-epic motions, sticking to traditional verse/chorus format and simply piling on the lead breaks, all of which conform to early 80s dogma and are relatively tamed compared to the shred standards that followed the entry of Malmsteen and the thrash movement.

Although this wouldn’t quite fall into the realm of being essential, let alone the lofty album that is saving heavy metal that some have irresponsibly claimed this to be, it would make a nice addition alongside a healthy collection of Demon, Angel Witch and Cloven Hoof albums. The lack of a steady lineup in White Wizzard’s young age as a band is a telling sign that they are truly living the early metal life, perhaps a bit too much than would be healthy for one’s sense of the present. But as with all retro bands, it’s all in good fun, and thankfully that is the one area where “Over The Top” really delivers on.

Originally submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on January 16, 2011.

Do you remember the day when ‘Smoking in the boys room’, ‘Balls to the wall’, ‘Aces High’, ‘Ace of Spades’, ‘Breaking the law’, and all those songs brought the FUN in heavy metal? Well, it certainly has passed a big pile of years since those amazing days and with the dawn of the 90’s, pop masses began to become more and more shit brains and nervous system paralyzed because of more and more utter shitty music that was populating media. With heavy metal it is quite obvious that Hammerfall, Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian, Dream Theater and many others were increasing the level of complexity, song writing and lyrics to different levels, whether is dragons and knights, space traveling, Tolkien-esque topics or introspective battles with alcohol suites and many other aspects that quick populated the metal scene, not to mention musically really talented musicians all around the world. This, for better or worse is some kind of curse for new bands. I say it because we’ve forgotten what good heavy metal was about: having fun and partying out your life and your guts for the sake of heavy metal.

Within this category, sadly, I read how White Wizzard is mocked because of the lyrical content, well fellow friends, so what? They are not intending to go beyond the fun aspect of metal which is, well, living for metal, dying for metal and everything for metal. They never even attempted to write complex and deep thinking lyrics. If you watch their video clips you will notice this instantly. They are here to have fun capturing the magic of past innovative bands such as Iron Maiden, old Helloween, Fates Warning and too many others. I am also sure that elevating them as the true saviors of traditional heavy metal is our problem, and ultimately, the record labels problem, not the fans’. Thus if we do not consider that just as a way of promoting them, we will be caught in the middle of a nonsense war. They are not proclaiming themselves saviors of anything but want only to play their instruments with such passion that could grab me from start to finish.

I have also stated in the review for Kissin’ Dynamite’s ‘Addicted to Metal’ that it is always refreshing listening to bands that bring back the old heavy metal sound, not complex, not progressive or any other ultimate sub-genres fusion to the table, but simple straight to the point heavy metal with modern technology and still sounding ‘real’. That is all I need and I consider myself a picky person when it comes to new bands (no matter what category I want to fit them in) so I have accepted White Wizzard for what they truly are: a bunch of guys who play their soul on this marvelous album, even if this isn’t innovative, groundbreaking or everybody’s cup f tea.

Thus I have to praise White Wizzard for this absolutely kick ass debut recording. ‘Over the top’ sounds refreshing, powerful, catchy, and talented, with heart and soul put to use. I waited two months for this cd to arrive and the waiting has paid off. Musically this is not diverse but instead they crafted a sound reminiscent 100% to Iron Maiden & Fates Warning so if you are going to compare this band to them, you are seriously misguided. They have fun playing tribute to their old sound but they are NOT a copycat band. They have their own identity and the songs are powerful and superb without overproducing them.

In regards to the songs well there is enough of everything just as the other guys have mentioned: good riffs, catchy riffs, melodic solos, amazing vocals (a cross between Bruce Dickinson and John Arc as far as I am concerned), killer bass shops, and solid and tight drumming and I get simple lyrics dealing with the Iron Goddess of Vengeance, Over the top and things of this sort, which is fine with me. If I want to go to thought provoking lyrics then I’d go to Atrophy, Megadeth, Orphaned Land, Dream Theater or many others. The lyrics go perfectly with the rhythm sections and the strength of this album which is the catchy hooks throughout. ‘Over the top’ is a song that goes very much in the line of ‘Powerslave’ era, mainly because of the bass lines and tight rhythm sections across the entire song. The voice here is very reminiscent of Fates Warning’s ‘John Arc’ by all means. ’40 deuces’ follows the tribute to Iron Maiden sound and ‘The Spectre within’ sound mostly due to the bass drumming and guitar fills but the rhythm guitars and bass lines are Iron Maiden-esque. ‘High Roller’ is not that good due to overflowing of drumming patterns and strange tempo signatures, what it is actually really cool is the guitar solo.

This takes me to ‘Live free or die’ which I think is the second best track here with very solid bass lines and memorable vocal lines, not to mention the effective and anthemic lyrics. This is one of the songs that live should be a killer or die (pun intended) but the true highlight as far as I am concerned is the epic Iron Goddess of Vengeance which its structure is very similar to ‘The Rhyme of the ancient mariner’ and ‘Exodus’. The rhythm sections and riffs sound very alike Iron Maiden but the epic sense and magic atmosphere is a nod to Fates Warning. Plenty of soloing and vicious chorus sections make this song outstanding and it became quite fast my favorite track. The guitar solos on ‘Out of Control’ sound to me like Judas Priest. This song is really good because of the double bass drum and simple riffing. ‘Strike of the viper’ has delicious solo fills and the actual chorus has this ‘6-6-6’ thing, which, yeah doh! You guessed right, a 100 tribute to ‘Number of the beast’.

The most important aspect of their music is how they are able to re-create the magic of days long gone, and I am not talking about the magic of kings, dragons and knights concept lyrics of other bands. I am talking of the rather simplistic formula that endure for over 5 years back in the 80’s with powerful production and lyrics to have FUN and yeah, they remind me of bands which they pay tribute to. This is just another recording to me and I will not put them in a pedestal to fall in the trap of the pop masses, and then mock them endlessly. One of my long time favorite bands (old albums just in case) used to say: ‘Trivializing the momentous, complicating the obvious’. Don’t trivialize their approach to traditional heavy metal or think they think themselves as the ultimate hot shots and don’t complicate what doesn’t need to be complicated and enjoy 47 min. of pure (to the heart) good pumping music that brings back good memories of old days. Live free or die my friends!

Here we have Over the Top, the first of hopefully many full-length albums by White Wizzard, the band hailed as the saviors of "true" or "traditional" heavy metal and one of the bands at the forefront of the NWOTHM, or New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal. After making a pretty big impact with the band's High Speed G.T.O. EP, bassist and band leader Jon Leon scrapped the rest of the band and hired a whole new line-up. And with this new-and-improved White Wizzard, the band have put forth one of the finest offerings of this NWOTHM so far.

The album opens with it's title track, easily one of the best songs on the album. 40 Deuces continues in this tradition, but High Roller and Live Free or Die just aren't as good. Iron Goddess of Vengeance is another highlight, being the album's only epic. Out of Control's got a lot of energy, but isn't as good as the anthem Strike of the Viper. Death Race is okay, but White Wizzard is way better, closing the album on a high note. You may be thinking, "Well this guy says half the songs on this album suck, so I'm not going to buy it, but I might download it and be a total jag-off.", but you have to realize that even the songs that aren't total classics are still really good and very catchy. If you've got the limited edition version of the album, that means you've got 2 bonus tracks, a cover of Judas Priest's Heading Out to the Highway and Cloven Hoof's Gates of Gehenna. The covers don't really take the songs to some new dimension of originality or anything, but they're an interesting listen, nonetheless.

The band's performance on this album is spot on. The songs are brimming with hot licks and solos, rightfully accompanied by a solid thumpity bass and some thunderous drumming. Vocalist Wyatt "The Screamin' Demon" Anderson is everything you've ever wanted in a heavy metal vocalist, even an awesome nickname like "The Screamin' Demon." He's like a mixture between Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, and Geoff Tate, which makes for one hell of a vocalist. He's got enough talent to be one of heavy metal's legends to some distant, future generation of metal heads.

A lot of people have been tearing this band apart for being to being unoriginal or trying to be "too metal" or whatever, but honestly I think it's very refreshing to hear a band like this spring up during a time when screamo posers with emotional issues and bands with illegible logos dominate the genre. It's hard for me to find a lot wrong with this album, but it seems everyone else finds something to hate about this band. They really seem to be shaping up to be a real love-em'-or-hate-em' band, but as long as they keep putting out albums like these, I'm totally leaning towards the love-em' side of this debate.

This album is, quite frankly, one of the most metal things you'll ever hear. Just look at the cover art, it's easy to see why people think these guys are just trying too hard. And with a sound like theirs, I can see why people think these guys are just Iron Maiden clones, but I see a lot of originality in them. I guess you really have to listen to this album to decide for yourself, but I would definitely recommend buying this album. If you like 80's styled heavy metal, you'll either worship this band for their ability to stay true to heavy metal's roots, or you'll despise them for their "total lack of originality." In my opinion, a must-have.

This band has been getting a ton of press as some sort of godlike classic metal revival act, but I have to say they really aren’t that great. On one hand, I really love their frenzied energy, and the singing from Wyatt Anderson is really great – “Screamin’ Demon,” indeed. But on the other, the songwriting is dull and most of these songs are pretty forgettable. They pretty much sound…exactly like Iron Maiden, almost to the point of plagiarism, except for the fact that Maiden’s songs always had direction and these guys’ songs just kind of meander around, and to be honest, don't hold up on repeated listens, and are pretty boring.

First, the good: Wyatt Anderson’s vocals are really solid, as I just can’t bring myself to hate his Bruce Dickinson-inspired, ball-clenched wailing. He sounds pretty young, but he has a lot of energy and charisma, and can carry these songs pretty well for all their inconsistency otherwise. How many 80s metal styled wailers can we have before the scene just explodes? I don’t know, but I think we can still handle a few more.

Part of me wants to criticize this for being so overly cheery, but that isn’t White Wizzard’s problem – it’s that they just don’t really know what to do with their songs. They’re like dogs chasing cars, to use a cliché from The Dark Knight – they’ve caught the sound of classic Iron Maiden in their mitts, but they have no idea what to do with it now that they have it. These songs start off promising enough with some good riffs and leads at times, but then they never kick it up a notch or get any sort of groove going. You can’t just pile good riffs into a song, you guys; the next part is tying it together and making it count! Too many of these songs, like on the dull “Live Free or Die” and the complete mess that is “Death Race” have no focus at all. Even songs that would otherwise be pretty good, like “Iron Goddess of Vengeance” just diddle around with unfocused bass lines and end up spoiled by happy 80s cheese-rock/metal parts that end up sounding more like a mockery of Iron Maiden than a tribute when you account for the lack of good structure and hook sensibility. Seriously, it’s practically unhealthy; it’s so damned cutesy and sugary sounding. Some parts, at least.

I know these guys aren’t just a bunch of posers, as they really do seem to have their hearts in the right place, but it’s just that they don’t seem to have really found themselves as a band yet. This sounds more like a band rehearsing and jamming rather than really going for the throat. If they could just stick to a solid rhythm and beat, and write some better vocal lines, they’d be in business. But seriously. This is the band you’re saying is the next resurgence of true metal? I have seen several reviewers claim things like that, and I have to say I think they’re being a little too quick to pull that particular trigger. Maybe in five or six years when they have a few more albums under their belts, but this album is hardly a saving grace to anything by itself, and there are plenty of other classic metal bands playing in the new millennium that deserve your attention more. This is an OK album at times, but White Wizzard still has some maturing to do in the way of songwriting. Decent at best.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

White Wizzard made some waves with their debut EP ‘High speed G.T.O.’ as they showed their love for classic metal with a fairly unique twist compared to some of the other young bands looking back at the genre’s glory years. They displayed more love for the hard rocking side of the NWOBHM disregarded by many of their contemporaries more focused on the aspects of the style that are generally better remembered, and the ultra-melodic vocals of James-Paul Luna in particular helped them to stand out.

Earache, always on the lookout for a new trend these days, have snapped up quite a few new bands in this retro style and are currently doing their best (along with their friends in the metal rags) to convince anyone listening that this is the “new wave of traditional metal”. Because, of course, the sooner you force a few bands into a “movement”, the sooner you can fold it into a neat little square, wring every penny you can out of it and quickly cast it aside in favour of the next Next Big Thing.

In terms of their label-mates, White Wizzard are streets ahead of the sluggish Cauldron, and probably about on a par with recent signings Enforcer, though less of a blunt force speed metal assault than the Swedes, with a few pauses for contemplation along the way on what is a compelling and memorable full-length debut.

In founder and boss man Jon Leon they seem to have their own would-be Steve Harris – not only does he write the songs to include very prominent and forceful bass-lines that give them a real urgent drive, but also seems to have no problem in jettisoning anyone he thinks could compromise his vision for the band, as the entire line-up other than himself has been given the boot since the debut EP. The loss of Luna in particular was of concern, as his sugary, almost poppy, vocals were White Wizzard’s most immediately identifiable feature. His replacement, Wyatt Anderson is a bit of a different proposition, less unique but without doubt more forceful than his predecessor, and he probably suits the more direct and aggressive style of ‘Over the top’ than Luna would have.

Coincidentally or not, the band have trimmed down the rock influence found on songs like “Celestina” and have arrived at a more straight speed metal style in line with the classic Roadrunner and Metal Blade acts. The paring of the title track and “40 deuces” is as strong an opening 1-2 as you are likely to hear this year, laced with insistent harmonies, pulsating bass-lines and, of course, massive choruses where Anderson shows his “Screaming Demon” nickname isn’t just idle boasting. The chorus to “40 deuces” is particularly all-conquering, and the lead guitar (actually Leon showing his ability with 6 strings as well as 4) is pretty scintillating.

The amped-up directness isn’t the only new territory though, as there are a couple of ventures into more expansive territory, the first of which being the 7-minute “Iron goddess of vengeance”, which reflects an until-now unseen ability to handle lengthier epics. It’s just a shame the crashing chords on the verses are bit too similar to those on the Accept classic “Metal heart”, but the coincidence is surely accidental and can be easily ignored during the powerful bridges and choruses.

At heart though, ‘Over the top’ is a light-hearted and high energy CD, with these slower moments serving mostly as points of contrast to the bustling vigour of the bulk of the songs as White Wizzard rip through 46 minutes of classic metal like there’s no tomorrow. The expended version features 2 classic covers - needlessly put on a 2nd CD - that are good harmless fun (the slightly obscure selection of Cloven Hoof’s “Gates of Gehenna” definitely does their credibility no harm) and drives home the notion that White Wizzard have their collective heart in the right place and are just out playing the music that they love. Which of course would mean nothing if they weren’t any good at it, but it’s a nice bonus to add to such an excellent CD from a band that at the minute have the world at their feet.

(Originally written for http://www.metalcdratings.com/)

Over the Top is the title of White Wizzard's 2010 debut album, though they've been major players in the NWOTHM (New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal) since the 2009 release of the High Speed G.T.O. EP. This album, however, has been recorded with a nearly entirely new line-up, all but Jon Leon (the band's founder and bassist) receiving the boot from the line-up, forming Holy Grail. And with this new line-up, Leon and company have forged one of the NWOTHM's finest offerings so far.

The album starts off with Over the Top, the title track and rightfully so. Over the Top is one of the album's best songs, being followed immediately by another song deserving a title none less flattering - 40 Deuces. High Roller and Live Free or Die are good too, but just don't meet the standards set by the songs preluding them. Iron Goddess of Vengeance rises out from this point, but Out of Control and Strike of the Viper fall back into the "good but not great" quality. Death Race and White Wizzard, however, stand out from the album just as Iron Goddess of Vengeance, Over the Top, and 40 Deuces.

One thing everyone seems to be complaining about is the cheesy Manowar-esque lyrics, blatantly dealing with topics such as war, glory, and heavy metal, but I honestly didn't find them so annoying or out of place at all in the songs. Wyatt "the Screamin' Demon"'s vocals are a mixture of Geoff Tate (Queensryche), Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), and maybe some John Arch (Fate's Warning) for good measure, thus creating quite the vocalist. The album is loaded with cool riffs and solos (courtesy of Erik Kluiber and Chad Bryan), and the drummer (Jesse Appelhans) and bassist (the aforementioned Jon Leon) don't do too bad a job either. One thing I didn't like about this album was the somewhat technical songwriting sin some of the songs, like on Strike of the Viper. One other thing that got me was the bass. Yes, epic, power, and NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) bands have been infamous for having a thumpity sound about their bass, but to me it sounds a bit annoying, like it's just a bit too thumpity.

When you take all these things into consideration, this is quite the debut album. But being the first full-length album of a band with little experience making music, there is room for improvement. If you like NWOBHM bands like Grim Reaper, Angel Witch, or Iron Maiden, or any NWOTHM bands like Enforcer, Cauldron, or Savage Blade, then you should probably go out and get this album. This album's not bad, but it just falls short of great.

If it's any indicator that traditional 80s heavy/speed metal is returning in full force to the world, White Wizzard's full-length debut has been released through Earache, one of the labels which always seems to keep their ears on the pulse of the swank and hip. White Wizzard are quite the new band, too, having formed only a few years back but already produced two EPs. These guys play it pretty straight, a hooky brand of old school power/speed metal which sounds like it might have been right at home on the Metal Blade roster in say...1985 or 86. You'll hear the usual culprits in the band's sound, like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden or Manowar, but also a number of other influences here like Virgin Steele, Armored Saint, Riot, Omen and perhaps even a dash of Savage Grace.

Vocalist Wyatt 'Screamin' Demon' Anderson has a secure enough vocal style, kind of a mix of Erik A.K. Knutson from Flotsam & Jetsam and maybe a little Mike Howe (ex-Metal Church, Heretic). At first I was worried this was going to be another of the soulless cash-in bands which seem to exist simply to push the current trend into a retro space, but White Wizzard seem fairly capable if you're a fan of the early years, and perhaps even if you're brand new to this genre. The guitars are melodic and sincere, and though I'm not always keen on the vocals, they occasionally sound great with the backups and take you straight down nostalgia lane.

The question is really if these vocal and guitar hooks are strong enough to create distinction among your already crowded record shelf. "High Roller" has some decent Iron Maiden-like (or Omen-like) harmonies and leads, perhaps the best on this album, but they're not entirely captivating, nor is Anderson even at his highest pitch. "Over the Top" is fast and highway fueled rock that channels a little Judas Priest, but the cheesy lyrics didn't exactly thrill me. Some of the better songs occur later on the album, like the rocking "Strike of the Viper" or "Death Race", but even these suffer from a string of cliche lyrics that often induce cringing in the seasoned listener. Hardly offensive since it's unlikely anyone is going to take a band called White Wizzard very seriously in 2010, but still, if the band had affixed this very same music with a more poetic aptitude, would it have hurt? Who would complain?

That said, none of the tracks are unappealing musically, from the bouncing high speed and wailing, spritely melodies that paint the ceiling of "40 Deuces" to the band's darker namesake track which completes the album, and reminds me a lot of Howe-era Metal Church. I'd also point out that the band doesn't offer any cheap ballad here, and as if to prove their hearts are in the proper place, the limited edition features bonus covers of Cloven Hoof's "Gates of Gehenna" (from the 1984 s/t album) and Judas Priest's "Heading Out to the Highway" (from Point of Entry in '81). Neither is a superb translation, but they're at least some evidence that the roots of the members' tastes run fairly deep into the past.

I did not get much out of Over the Top, save the opinion that the whole retro appeal is about to blow up and that I can expect to hear a lot more like this on the horizon. I actually preferred Finland's Armour s/t debut because it feels a lot more genuinely cheesy and absurd, and also rock a little more. But White Wizzard have a reasonable ear for melody, and I've heard far worse, both in these 'new 80s' and the original 80s.

Highlights: High Roller, Strike of the Viper, White Wizzard

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

So I've been following White Wizzard for quite some time now, through when almost their entire lineup got kicked out (went on to form Holy Grail) and to the release of their debut album 'Over the Top'. I originally had my doubts, since this new line-up had not released an EP of them playing, but after buying this album my doubts were soon expelled. This is a great Traditional Heavy Metal album, and White Wizzard are definitely among the leaders of the revival. However, while it's a great album it does have its flaws.

The album starts off strong with it's title track 'Over the Top'. It's a quick paced, in your face track with lots of great riffing, very strong bass, and solid drum work. And the vocals by Wyatt Anderson are simply amazing. He's a huge improvement over the previous vocalist and he has a powerful voice with great range. The next two tracks ('40 Deuces' and 'High Roller') are also fine tracks. The first problem we hit is 'Live Free or Die'. It's a generally boring track with generally boring lyrics. Now, it's not a bad track, but it could have been a lot better. And this is what we see with a couple other tracks on the album. Compared to the others, they just seem boring and rather uninspired. But if you can make it through those tracks, and trust me you will, you will be rewarded by some truly great ones. Both 'Iron Goddess of Vengeance' and 'Out of Control' are great tracks that start off with prominent bass. Jon Leon's bass playing is impeccable and the way it fits into the songs is very reminiscent of Iron Maiden's Steve Harris. In fact, there's a lot of Iron Maiden inspiration in this band, which for me at least, is another positive thing. The album ends with two of it's strongest tracks in 'Death Race' and 'White Wizzard'. Both have all of what's listed above, but none of this album comes off as stale.

The production quality of this album, like their EP, is very strong. It easily shows that a lot of time was put into it to make a strong debut, and that's exactly what it does. While this album does have a couple of negatives, it's still a must-have for any Traditional Heavy Metal fan, because I wouldn't call it a long-shot if over the next couple years White Wizzard clearly shows themselves as the leaders in the revival of the genre.

Positives:
-Great performances by band members.
-Good production quality
-'Over the Top', '40 Deuces', 'Death Race', 'White Wizzard'.

Negatives:
-Somewhat uninspired lyrics on some songs
-Generic writing on some songs
-'Live Free or Die', 'Strike of the Viper'.

Well, my self-proclaimed saviors of true heavy metal are back with an entirely new line-up (almost) and have released an album which is of unquestionable metalness. Seriously, this album is THE metal album. It's totally metal. Really.

This wouldn't be a problem, except they tell you, over and over and OVER again. And that is the main problem with this album: the lyrics. Now most people who know of White Wizzard know that Jon Leon's goal was to make a classic heavy metal album in the vein of Iron Maiden or Dio, and he has accomplished that, but it's so amazingly blatant and shameless that sometimes you can't help but cringe. Just look at the track names: "Over the Top", "Strike of the Viper", "Live Free or Die"; And the themes of the songs aren't any better! Practically all they sing about is alcohol, metal and women, and they always re-use the same words and ideas. But despite all that, there are some better tracks with more creative lyrics (such as "Iron Goddess of Vengeance" or "White Wizzard") that really convey the feeling of classic metal without being too overt. The album would truly have been a classic if they had just stuck to fantasy themes rather than go the Manowar path of lyric writing. But there's a lot more to music than just the lyrics, and that is where this album really shines.

The production on this album is great, there are no real issues with it at all. Although I hate to make more Iron Maiden comparisons, the similarities can't be ignored: the vocals are almost exactly the same. Much like Bruce Dickinson, Wyatt Anderson's voice is very "wide" (if that makes any sense) and commanding, but can also go into a fever-pitched scream when necessary. However great his voice is though, some vocal parts are just inexcusably annoying, such as the "Legions - of hell!" lyric in "Strike of the Viper". The drumming and bass are pretty good, each have their moments, but overall are nothing to really go nuts about. The other big positive point of the music is definitely the guitar work. There are insane solos on practically every song, and usually multiple ones in each. The rhythm and lead guitar combination works extremely well, especially when you have the rhythm guitar pumping away at riffs while the lead is shredding maniacally (it gives the impression of a stolid mother with her zealous toddler running in circles around her).

All in all, this is a very good album and is a must-have for any lover of classic heavy metal (if only to hear the genre's modern pioneers in action). White Wizzard have great musicianship and songwriting, but the lyrics are pretty lame and way too cheesy. My personal favorite tracks are "Out of Control", "White Wizzard" and "Death Race" and I would recommend people listen to those first, just to get eased into the cheesiness of the songs and get a taste of the better material. So, to recap:

Pros - melodic commanding vocals, great guitar work, solid songwriting
Cons - usually silly lyrics, too blatant about being metal

Hail!