Later this summer, Earache will be reissuing the debut EP from Los Angeles NWOBHM-influenced band White Wizzard. The original lineup of the band cut this EP in '07 and it went out as a very limited release. White Wizzard got national attention when the title cut from the EP "High Speed GTO" was included on Earache's Heavy Metal Killers compilation earlier this year. The band's 7-track EP is now being reissued with a bonus video track for "High Speed GTO" (below). Earache refers to the bands on the Heavy Metal Killers compilation as "New Wave of Traditional Metal" and that is probably as good a label as anything. White Wizzard plays hook-heavy melodic metal which has elements of Van Halen, Saxon, Judas Priest and Quiet Riot in its music. You also have to love a band that name-checks (the grossly underrated) Wrathchild America on their MySpace page.



Like many of the bands from the NWOBHM-era, White Wizzard utilize dual-guitars and a driving bass line. The lyrical themes are pretty typical and range from cars ("High Speed GTO") to girls ("Celestina") to skeletons ("March of the Skeletons"). This last track is a bit more 'punk' than some of the other tracks and, with its driving bass line, sounds like something from the Paul Di'Anno era of Iron Maiden.

Moving forward to this year, the band had some lineup changes and a new lineup has regrouped around bassist Jon Leon. Not that original vocalist James Luna was lacking, but the band's new vocalist Wyatt "Screaming Demon" Anderson has a powerful set of lungs. Here is a live video/interview with the band's current lineup.

White Wizzard interview and performance at Paladino's


White Wizzard is playing around Los Angeles while working on tracks for a full-length disc that is tentatively scheduled for release later this year. Two songs from these new sessions are posted to the band's MySpace page. The band has also attracted some international attention as they have been tapped for next year's Keep It True Festival XIII in Germany where they will be playing alongside bands like Tygers of Pan Tang, Hades, and Candlemass.