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Wizard > Head of the Deceiver > Reviews
Wizard - Head of the Deceiver

This is what metal is - 99%

Vintersemestre, January 14th, 2009

When I think of heavy metal the first thing comes to mind isn't Manowar, believe it or not, it's this album. Probably one of the most intriguing and satisfying things in heavy metal's short history are Wizard's 2001 and 2003 releases; if you were to want to define what true, perfectly versatile, captivating, original & capable modern underground heavy metal was to someone who was metal illiterate, this would be the album you'd want to give them.

The sparse availability of this album is one of life's truly tragic tales - I was looking for it for a good long while until it very recently became available in what I imagine is a short supply from a regular power-seller on eBay.

This is one of those albums where you don't skip a track, in fact you don't dare try it for fear of being jolted with nine million volts of electricity for even daring to attempt to push the "Skip" button on your CD player. It is something you have to respect like raw aqueous nitroglycerine - it is truly explosive in the most veritable sense of that word, in my opinion one of the greatest (and definitely close to being the most underrated) heavy metal albums of all time.

"We are here to raise some hell - to wake the dead", truer words have never been spoken. One could only stare in awe as this album blasts fire through huge woofers into an ancient cemetery and the rotten warriors rise from their tombs just to hear this insane sound, wondering why their time had to come before 2001.

Take everything that's great about Manowar, Judas Priest and Rage (GER) and you have Wizard, I don't know what the fuck they were ingesting to make this album but if other metal bands in this vein could write music that were 10% as good as this then metal would no longer be ignored by the mainstream.

Someone in another review mentioned imagining that the guitar strings were on fire - very good observation. Not only do the guitars sound heavy, crunchy and technically sound - EVERYTHING does. Everything is as tight for this genre of music as Cannibal Corpse is as tight for death metal. You'll be lucky if your sound system or spinal cord make it through this one intact.

"I'm the calm in the center of the storm - the steady axis in this dance of death" You will feel a surge of pride in your chest when you hear "Calm of the Storm" one of the greatest heavy metal songs ever written; nevermind what will happen when you hear "True Metal".

In conclusion, if you like Manowar, then you need this album. In fact it really depends because it will make you want to throw out all of your Manowar albums in anger, that's how good this is. This album really should come with a warning label on it as I believe that hearing it alone is enough to make wimps and poseurs drop dead upon auditory contact.

Wizard’s best. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-! - 88%

Corimngul, March 29th, 2005

Another Wizard album, another cover with fire. The point stands this time though. Head of the Deceiver is Wizard's best release, more mature than their former material and stronger than their coming. It's fiery, explosive, energetic, pumping, speedy and great. Only real complaint is that the vocals are a bit down in the mix, but the guy's powerful enough to make him heard anyway. The high-pitched stuff he's doing is a little muffled though.

After Evitum Okol, one of the strangest intros ever, an invocation or something, brewing of a potion, comes what Wizard are. Fast drums, fiery guitars (imagine the strings are burning), energy, some anger seeking its outlet through sweat. It pumps, it pounds, and he does solos with a LOT of chord progressions. At times the drums are so fast that they've the most senseless speed, but the guitarist isn't trapped this time (as he was on Odin). He does his stuff and he does it well. And although the song concept might be old, the passion and energy and general kick-ass-ness radiating out from Wizard still makes you taking them seriously.

Riffing's good at worst. Especially the intro riffs are like shots: fun, tastes good and you always want one more. Jumping straight to Defenders of Metal; this is the best power metal anthem so far this millennia. Feel the bass, feel the rhythm, and feel that irresistible urge to bang your head. It's clearly Manowar-influenced, musically as well as in the quality respect.

Then there's Iron War. Luckily Iron War is a song of its own, no other quite like it. It isn't to be qualified as filler because those still have some artistical qualities. Iron War is instead extended into eternity with numerous bass and guitar solos, seemingly competing in reaching the highest suckage rating. This kind of wankery would be enough for an Yngwie and Dream Theater split single!

The last odd one out is The First One, standing out more than any other track (with the possible exception of Evitum Okol). It has a funny horror intro with cracking eggs and a girl screaming, then a bass intro and then really heavy guitars. It sounds kinda like power / doom would - great. Revenge is another fast song, thus in good company but it has some really fucking ANNOYING sound effects. I don't care if they're there to sonically describe a bat being sucked and thrown around in an aerial maelstrom or not. This is more than I and my ears are willing to take.

True Heavy Metal - 95%

Thrasher666, January 7th, 2004

This is the first release I've heard from these German metalheads. I must say, I am greatly impressed. Wizard is one of those "true" speed/power metal acts, who are all about metal. How could you go wrong with a band who has song titles like "Iron War" and "Defenders of Metal"?

What you have here is basically Iron Maiden and Judas Priest on speed. Melodic and FAST heavy metal, with tremelo picking, alot of double bass and solos that would make fans of traditional metal proud. The solos are amazing! Totally epic and melodic, carefully planned solos that shred. Basically, what Wizard has done it taken the sound of the 80's, put it on clear production and played it at twice the speed.

The only problem with this band is the horrible lyrics. The lyrics are like something Dr Suess would write while he was listening to Manowar or Saxon. But the vocals are so good and classic, the lyrics do not even matter.

This is an amazing album, fans of traditional heavy metal, who want alot of fast riffs, amazing solos, double bass and great powerful vocals, GET THIS ALBUM NOW!!!