Wow, they don’t make em like this any more. What am I talking about, this is how they make em these days. Its like Nirvana and grunge never happened. White Wizzard, along with fellow Earache stable mates [post=cauldron-chained-nite text=”Cauldron”], are part of what sounds like a NWOBHM/hair metal revival. White Wizzard give us speedy riffs, powerful melodic vocals, and big anthemic sing along choruses … if you can hit the high notes. I still find it a little odd that Earache are releasing this kind of stuff. Back in the day, Earache were busy releasing classics such as Napalm Death‘s Scum, which was diametrically opposed to 80s hair culture.
I’ll be honest and say I don’t actually remember NWOBHM and US hair metal being so linked. NWOBHM gave us proto-thrash bands like Venom and Raven (whose commercial hair phase marked the terminal decline in their musical career ) and that’s what NWOBHM is for me: proto-thrash post-prog metal with intricate highly harmonised guitar solos (ok, maybe that doesn’t include Venom … but my NWOBHM doesn’t include Mötley Crüe either for that matter). Although that’s only my memory, and White Wizzard look back differently. Of course they do. They come from LA. What if thrash and grunge had never gained the upper hand? That death metal growl wouldn’t have become ubiquitous, for one thing.
But I love it. I can’t help it. I can see why bands find this sound so attractive. Its fun, which is something metal has lacked for far too long. White Wizzard sound so outrageous. They take up the sound of a bunch of old US bands that have been terminally uncool since well over 7000 years ago and say “So fucking what? That’s what we’re going to play. Like it or fuck off.” Coming soon, with a limited edition can of hair spray.
-Alaric-
