WHITE WIZZARD - review added 8th July 2009
Album Review: High Speed GTO (2009)
For fans of: Heavy Metal... and old stuff made new
White Wizzard are described as a new breed of catchy, NWOBHM-inspired heavy metal from L.A. combining the true heavy metal grit of Iron Maiden with the breezy commercial appeal of 'DLR-era Van Halen-esque vocals'.
To be honest it describes them well. Their music is catchy, very much like vintage Iron Maiden/Saxon in sound and style, and they almost certainly come from L.A.. Not entirely sold on the vocals being in the same league as David Lee Roth. You can hear the influences occasionally, but the over-the-top showmanship and flamboyance are notable by their non existence.
The album was originally recorded during 2007, although it's only just getting a full label-backed release. At the time of the album's recording, White Wizzard consisted of James Luna (vocals), Erik Kluiber (lead guitars), Chad Bryan (rhythm and harmony guitars), Jon Leon (bass guitars/electric guitars) and Jesse Appelhans (drums). James Luna has since been replaced by Wyatt 'Screamin Demon' Anderson. Cool name.
The opening song has a teeth rattling bass line and a raw feel to the remainder. It's kind of Maiden-esque in the way the rhythms duck and dive and the guitars play against each other, but the sound is a lot more primordial. If cavemen (or caveladies) had heavy metal this is what it would have sounded like, although they probably wouldn't have been singing about fast cars. It's catchy stuff; the way the band have captured the energy of a live performance - if you like a refined studio album this won't be for you, but if you like music that makes your electrons flow... it's great.
'Celestina' speeds things up with a bouncy lead hook that never seems to relent. It's a fun track with a vintage persona and bright spunky instrumentation. 'Into The Night' is even more bouncy, although it's more of a stop-start punk-tinged take on the sound. 'March Of The Skeletons' is a brilliant track. You've heard this sort of thing a thousand times before and it borders on pub metal... but it's got a friendly nature to its bones and you can't help but love it.
'Megalodon' is a bit of a mess that's a touch too retro and silly for its own good. You might enjoy it, but you're more likely to press the 'next track' button. 'Octane Gypsy' is punky and fun. It's a song that should only last 2 minutes but goes on for 4. It's energetic and teetering on trend-setting genius. Final track 'Red Desert Skies' starts with a faux-prog riff but quickly returns to its Iron Maiden roots. It's another average song with a few interesting drum beats and a funky bass line to its name.
High Speed GTO is a difficult one. There's little on the album that hasn't been heard before and the overall production is raw and ill-balanced. However, it's also great fun, full of passionate performances and, given it's retro nature, very up-to-date and achingly fashionable. On balance, not everyone is going to like it but, in the right situation - played VERY loud in the car - this is good sh*t.
Check out... The trendy rawness of it... and the song about 'skellingtons' too.
Track List:
01. High Speed GTO
02. Celestina
03. Into The Night
04. March Of The Skeletons
05. Megalodon
06. Octane Gypsy
07. Red Desert Skies
Label: Earache Records
Band websites: White Wizzard , MySpace
