White Wizzard: Vocalist Joesph Michael Leaves Band During UK Tour / War of Words Follows (Earache Records)

Stories of lineup troubles within Los Angeles 'traditional metal' band White Wizzard have become legendary but the latest - the departure of newcomer vocalist Joseph Michael - really seems to be over the top.

The following tweets have been coming out over the last 24 hours from the band's official Twitter account (@whitewizzard):

10/5 @ 10:09AM: Good times coming in Cardiff Wales tonight at Bogiez rock club!!!!!(BrooklynRocks Note: Calm before the storm)

10/5 @ 4:02PM:  Hey all our singer is drunk in a pub somewhere in Wales when he is supposed to be on stage.....if you see him tell him to get to the venue Bogiez ASAP!! We may have to roll with Jon Leon and various fans on vox.....YIKES!!

10/5 @ 7:11PM: So fans of the Wizzard in London here is the deal. Joseph Michael fucked off our gig in Cardiff and left us... http://fb.me/20PLIZ5TC (BrooklynRocks Note: Facebook link is dead)

10/5 @ 9:34PM: Just FYI to all the fans, If Joseph Michael sends you an email stating anything at all negative or suspicious do... http://fb.me/2VLucrBF2 (BrooklynRocks Note: It is now getting pretty weird - again, Facebook link is dead)

10/5 @ 11:08PM: Just a last FYI on the erroneous and false things Joseph Michael has began to post about Jon Leon. They are fully... http://fb.me/1O2C6QRTm (BrooklynRocks Note: Wha?? - again, Facebook link is dead)

10/5 @ 11:16PM: We are very honored to announce that we have secured amazing singer Giles Lavery to do the rest of the tour. We will have more links and info for you all tomorrow. Amazing singer. Very humbled and excited to get out there and see where it can go. Cheers and thanks again to the Cardiff fans for your support on a difficult but amazing evening!!! (BrooklynRocks Note: I'm shocked/skeptical that any touring band can replace their lead singer in under a day but...this is probably who will be singing at the Webster Hall show.  Lavery sings (sang?) with Australian power-metal band Dragonsclaw)

10/6 @ 6:18PM: Okay WW fans. We want to report that Joseph Michael our now former singer, last week while in Brighton after our first show, stole a bag belonging to a very sweet girl named Charlotte Croucher. Her face book page can be found here please mail her https://facebook.com/charlotte.croucher.5?fref=ts.  Her bag contains a wallet, passports and other very important documents. After finally coming clean after we caught him with it, he stated that he would return it to her in London. After fucking off our show in Cardiff last night when he refused to give us the bag to return to this girl in London. She rode up all the way from Brighton to get her bag and sat outside our gig for hours(which he fucked off again) She is now very distraught and on the way back to Brighton with no bag. We feel horrible. Please pressure Joseph Michael to do the right thing and return the girls bag. We hope some face book pressure will get it done. Feel free to write her directly and question the validity of this and try and help her. Hopefully some public pressure will do the trick. Hopefully it also shows you all the character of the kind of person he is. Thanks all. (BrooklynRocks Note: Ok - This one is striking me as the most far fetched...the day after your singer leaves, you post that he stole a handbag. The handbag owner had posted to Facebook a week prior that the bag was probably in a band's (your?) merch. van. What happened over the course of the week? Royal Mail is no worse than USPS...if that wasn't a viable option, I'm sure the police would be a better option than 'face book pressure'.)

Joseph Michael's response:

Here is the real story on White Wizzard

Jon has been stealing money from us . From indie gogo fund and out on tour and i called him out on it.

He then fired me last night on the night off...

Then announced that i was refusing to sing... It's all lies...

I was fired and he couldnt find someone to sing so he begged me 5 minutes before they went on...

Jon Leon is a Con man and has not honored one word he has said since i have joined this band... After i sang on White Wizzard - Devil's Cut he threatened to forbid Earache Records from releasing it with my vocals if i didn't sign a new contract giving no rights and a far worse deal..After the work was done...

If it wasn't for Will Wallner and Jake Dreyer Standing up to this criminal he would have left myself and filmmaker Don Adams stranded in the middle of nowhere...

Jon Leon has paid for nothing on this trip and has acted a child the whole time. Please Do not Let him rip you off if you Purchased From Indie Go Go... Goodnight



Links:
White Wizzard

White Wizzard Play The Studio at Webster Hall on Nov. 9 / 'The Devils Cut' CD Review (Earache Records)

Los Angeles “traditional” heavy metal band White Wizzard is back in town on November 9th for a headlining show at The Studio at Webster Hall. White Wizzard is playing alongside local boys Metalfier (x-Disillusion) and tickets are $15.

White Wizzard has been a tough act to keep up with as the band has had substantial line-up shifts with each release, with only constant in the lineup being bassist Jon Leon. Earlier this summer, White Wizzard released its third full-length, The Devil’s Cut (Earache Records), and this release is the best thing the band has done since their self-titled debut EP.

Early on, White Wizzard got tagged with the genre label “new wave of traditional heavy metal” when this label first surfaced a few years ago in reference to bands who utilize dual lead guitars in a style similar to Iron Maiden and/or early Judas Priest. While one can hear a bit of Maiden influences on The Devil’s Cut, White Wizzard’s sound is more akin to Dio’s work with Rainbow and Black Sabbath crossed with hook-heavy, swaggering Sunset Strip c*ck rock. Complementing the music, new vocalist Joseph Michael can hit the high notes but, on most of the disc, he sings in a register closer to that of Dio or Ray Gillen (Black Sabbath/Badlands).

The disc starts with a two minute instrumental “Forging the Steel” which is powered by a galloping beat over which guitarists Jake Dreyer and Will Wallner play dark-tuned leads and this instrumental flows straight into the early Rainbow-ish “Strike the Iron”. While the disc starts with a guitar duel (which I’m sure drives a lot of the Priest/Maiden comparisons), the guitar leads throughout this disc are predominately “European metal” sounding so there really isn’t much of a comparison to any of the NWOBHM bands. Even the comparison of “Strike the Iron” to a Rainbow track only gets you part of the way. This song takes some unexpected twists and turns, including a brief interlude into Black Metal, which will keep the listener engaged and on their toes. With most of the songs on this disc clocking in over five minutes, White Wizzard has room to experiment and change styles both within and between songs.



“Kings of the Highway” and “Lightening in My Hands” are two of the songs on the disc that could easily become FM-radio staples. Both songs are melodic, hook-heavy arena rockers with killer alternating guitar leads and creative drumming that continually pushes these songs forward at a relentless pace. Never staying in one place for long, the 7+ minute track “Lightening in My Hands” starts slower paced and moody and sounds like an updated take on Dio-era Rainbow or Black Sabbath, even down to where the song picks up speed about the 5-minute mark. Picking the speed back up, this track is followed by the album’s title cut, “The Devil’s Cut”, which starts with a rumbling bass line from Jon Leon before kicking into the most aggressive song on the disc. “The Devil’s Cut” is the closest that White Wizzard comes to a thrash metal tune but the melodic chorus pulls this song back from going completely over the edge. The disc closes with the epic-length “The Sun Also Rises” which is a proggy/moody piece that is similar in spirit to “Lightening in My Hands”.



Links:
White Wizzard

Holy Grail: Crisis in Utopia CD Review // Show at Gramercy Theater on Feb. 2nd

Holy Grail formed from the ashes of the original lineup of White Wizzard (Earache) and created a buzz with their non-stop touring (with bands like Exodus, Saviours and 3 Inches of Blood) and their 2009 EP “Improper Burial”. While the two originals on the EP provided an initial view into the band’s thrash-infused power metal sound, Holy Grail firmly established their sound with the release of their debut full-length disc Crisis in Utopia this past October (Prosthetic). Breaking from their White Wizzard / NWOBHM-revival roots, Crisis in Utopia incorporates significant elements from thrash and speed metal which pushes them closer in sound to bands like Armored Saint and Accept.

Across the disc’s ten tracks, the band combines a strong sense of melody with an equal level of aggression. The band leads this charge with a combined attack of dual-lead guitars and James Paul Luna’s vocals. Luna sings in a rawer, raspier voice than he did on White Wizzard’s debut CD which he can take up to a falsetto scream. Backing vocals range from clean vocals harmonies to the (expected) melodic “wow-oh-oh” to a death metal growl. Lyrically, the band’s focus is on sword and sorcery imagery but, while some of the songs are shout-along fist pumpers, the lyrics seem to take a backseat to the raw sonic power of the music.

Guitarists James LaRue and Eli Santana skip the NWOBHM power-metal leads and play fast-paced, technical, speed metal riffs (check out the dueling leads on the disc opener “My Last Attack” and “Fight to Kill”, which is an aggressive hold-over from the 2009 EP) and the drumming stops just short of death metal blast beats. The only exception to this is “Nocturne in D Minor” which breaks up the disc mid-way with an atmospheric instrumental which highlights a flute and acoustic guitar.

Holy Grail were in town with Exodus and Bonded by Blood this past August (video from the show is below).



The band is coming back to the Gramercy Theater with 3 Inches of Blood, Eluveitie and System Divide on Feb. 2nd. Tickets are $18 (+$9 LiveNation surcharge if you buy tickets using LiveNation.com) and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Holy Grail

Holy Grail Tapped to Open Blind Guardian Tour // Full-Length Disc out Oct. 26th

Formed from the ashes of the original line-up of White Wizzard, Los Angeles traditional metal band Holy Grail have been generating a buzz after last year’s release of their debut EP “Improper Burial”. The band has been confirmed as direct support for Blind Guardian's fall North American At The Edge of Time tour, which kicks off on November 19th in Philadelphia, PA at the Trocadero. The tour stops at the Best Buy (aka Nokia) Theater on the 20th. Seven Kingdoms is also on the bill for the NYC show and tickets are $30 (in advance and $33 DOS).

Holy Grail frontman James Paul Luna commented, "The Holy Grail guys and I are really pumped to go out with Blind Guardian. Their new album is amazing and our new album, Crises in Utopia, will drop right before the tour begins. Blind Guardian and Holy Grail will be a killer bill!"

Crises in Utopia, Holy Grail's debut full-length album will be released on October 26th via Prosthetic Records. The new disc is produced by acclaimed producer/remixer/musician Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle) and features cover artwork by Andrei Bouzikov (Skeletonwitch, Municipal Waste). Prosthetic Records is currently taking pre-orders for Crises in Utopia.

Holy Grail supporting Blind Guardian:

NOVEMBER
19 - Philadelphia, PA, Trocadero
20 - New York, NY, Nokia Theater
21 - Worcester, MA, The Palladium
23 - Montreal, QC, Metropolis
25 - Quebec City, QC, Theatre Capitole
26 - Toronto, ON, Kool Haus
27 - Royal Oak, MI, Royal Oak Theatre
29 - Chicago, IL, The Bottom Lounge
30 - Minneapolis, MN, The Cabooze

DECEMBER
01 - Winnipeg, MB, The Garrick Centre
03 - Calgary, AB, McEwan Hall
04 - Edmonton, AB, The Starlite Room
06 - Seattle, WA, Showbox At The Market
08 - San Francisco, CA, The Regency Ballroom
09 - Los Angeles, CA, Music Box @ Fonda
10 - Tempe, AZ, The Marquee Theatre
11 - Albuquerque, NM, Sunshine Theater
12 - Denver, CO, Bluebird Theater
14 - Dallas, TX, Trees
15 - Houston, TX, Scout Bar
17 - Asheville, NC, The Orange Peel
18 - St. Petersburg, FL, State Theatre St. Petersburg
19 - Atlanta, GA, Masquerade
21 - Raleigh, NC, Lincoln Theatre
22 - Springfield, VA, Jaxx

Links:
Holy Grail

White Wizzard Releases 'Over The Top' on March 9th / Show at Santos Party House on March 10th

Los Angeles traditional metal band White Wizzard are releasing their first full-length, Over the Top (Earache), on March 9th and are playing an early show at Santos Party House on March 10th.

The new disc was produced by Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, UFO, Michael Schenker) and Earache is taking pre-orders for limited edition colored vinyl and 2-CD versions of the disc. For anyone who wants an advance listen on how the new material sounds live, there are two White Wizzard videos from a recent performance at Reggie's in Chicago streaming on Chicago's UVTV site.

Here is an interview that I did with the band when they were in town last year for a show at Club Europa.



Links:
White Wizzard

BrooklynRocks Top 10 List for 2009

Happy New Year Everyone!

Here is my top 10 list (in no particular order):

1) Kati O'Toole - On Ashland (Snow Ghost Music)
2) Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord)
3) White Wizzard - High Speed GTO (Earache)
4) Red Collar - Pilgrim (Self-Released)
5) The Besties - Home Free (Hugpatch)
6) Oceano - Depths (Earache)
7) Evergreen Terrace - Almost Home (Metal Blade)
8) Mystery of Two - That's The World Over (Exit Stencil)
9) Absu - Self-Titled (Candlelight)
10) La Coka Nostra - A Brand You Can Trust (Suburban Noize Records)

Zandelle - Photos from Club Europa, Brooklyn, NY 8-28-09

I lost track of Zandelle after L'Amours (in Brooklyn) closed but I probably saw the band over a dozen times during L'Amour's final run in Bensonhurst ('99 - '04).

Time has been good to Zandelle and the band has gotten better with age. The band's sound hasn't changed much over the years and they are still playing epic power metal. What has changed though is the band's lineup (yet again) and this appears to be for the better as both the band's song writing and live show have gotten tighter.



Earlier this year, Zandelle signed with the German label Pure Steel Records and released their third disc, Flames of Rage, this past June. Many reviewers are calling this new disc Zandelle's best to-date.



Links:
Zandelle's MySpace Profile

Raven - Photos from Club Europa, Brooklyn, NY 8-28-09

Raven is sort of like the Dorian Gray of heavy metal - trends come and go, bands age, break up, change their sound and all the while Raven still seems like the exact same band that I saw in the 80's open for Judas Priest.

Raven was in town in August to play the Brooklyn Thunder Fest at Club Europa with Ross the Boss, White Wizzard and Zandelle. The band's latest disc is entitled Walk Through Fire and it was released last March on the Japanese label King Records.





Here is the set list from the show:

01. Take Control
02. Live at the Inferno
03. All For One
04. Gimme a Break
05. Breaking You Down
06. Long Day’s Journey
07. Rock Until You Drop
08.. Guitar Solo
09. Speed of the Reflex \ Run Silent Run Deep \ Mind Over Metal
10. The King
11. On And On
12. Bass Solo
13. For the Future
14. Break the Chain









Links:
Raven

White Wizzard: Video Interview & Live Footage, Club Europa 8-20-09 (Earache)

Los Angeles based NWOBHM/traditional metal band White Wizzard made their East Coast debut last month at the Brooklyn Thuder Fest at Club Europa. The band's debut EP "High Speed GTO" was released on Earache Records earlier this month and is getting excellent press. (Check out the coverage in the Village Voice)

I had the opportunity to catch up with the band before their set and I've included some footage from the band's live set after the interview.



White Wizzard recently posted on their MySpace page (link below) that they just finished recording their first full-length disc which is due out early next year.

Links:
White Wizzard

White Wizzard - High Speed GTO CD EP Review (Earache Records)

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.