By Avinash Mittur
Few people would readily call Ozzy Osbourne a good singer. If there’s one thing that the Ozzman knows how to do well though, it’s find great guitarists out of nowhere. Now let’s turn to a far more talented (and far less batshit crazy) individual, White Wizzard’s Jon Leon. White Wizzard have had over fifteen members pass through their ranks; all of them exceptionally rule at their instruments. Seriously, Leon has managed to run into and scoop up absolutely amazing musicians again and again- ordinary bandleaders don’t strike musical gold fifteen times in a row. The latest three additions complete what might be White Wizzard’s most talented group of guys yet. If that isn’t some serious heavy metal black magic, I don’t know what is. The fruit of this new lineup’s labors, The Devils Cut, is White Wizzard’s most mature and cohesive record yet. Not only an astonishing display of this lineup’s talents, The Devils Cut is a plain badass slab of classic heavy metal from the very band that brought the style back to prominence.
The opening cuts ‘Forging The Steel’ and ‘Strike The Iron’ immediately send a message- Leon isn’t screwing around with this album, and neither are the other musicians. ‘Strike’ is the fastest White Wizzard song yet, but the guys don’t allow themselves to jump into power metal territory quite yet. The band once again explores progressive influences with Eastern melodies finding their way into the song and Leon and drummer Giovanni Durst providing a wiry and lithe backbone. ‘Strike The Iron’ is really a showcase for guitarists Jake Dreyer and Will Wallner though- the two get the opportunity to amaze with several face melting solos on this track. For the Priest fans out there, Dreyer’s on the left channel and Wallner’s on the right. The duo are immediately identifiable as a team, with Dreyer coming from the American GIT style of shred and Wallner displaying an refreshingly expressive and melodic sensibility as a soloist. Even without the stereo separation, the pair display truly distinct musical personalities- I honestly can’t remember the last new record I listened to where I had such little trouble telling who played which solo. It certainly would have been nice to have had Dreyer and Wallner track the rhythm guitars as well (Leon handled those duties once again for this record). The rhythm guitars sound very separate from the leads as a result, when a more seamless integration of the two may have been possible with Wallner and Dreyer taking on the full brunt of the guitar work.
White Wizzard may have been formed as a throwback to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, but Leon’s love of cars and motorcycles is 100% American. Though the band showed off a free-spirited sense of fun on their most famous driving song, ‘High Speed GTO’, there’s a more grown up, almost somber vibe on ‘Kings Of The Highway’. While vocalist Joseph Michael was impressively wailing away on ‘Strike the Iron’, this track really shows off his versatility and charisma as a singer. Michael’s restrained and soulful performance builds up to an electrifying scream that wouldn’t have had nearly the same impact had he been wailing every time he opened his mouth. That scream leads into a jaw dropping solo from Wallner (seriously, that lick at the 3:45 mark is so damn cool); it’s the kind of break that will wow crowds everywhere if the band is smart enough to stick the song in their set. ‘Kings of the Highway’ is far deeper and more complex than it lets on- instead of constantly showing off his chops as a bassist as he used to do, Leon lays back and lets his bandmates shine and incorporates much needed dynamics into his songwriting vocabulary. The song shows that Leon still loves riding on the wind, but that he’s also a little more grown up these days.
The title track and ‘Torpedo Of Truth’ are a one-two punch as strong and diverse as White Wizzard have ever had. The questionable grammar in its title is the only genuine complaint I can levy against ‘The Devils Cut’- Durst gets the chance to show off some funkier beats in the first minute of the track, but quickly transitions to solid speed metal pounding soon enough. Stellar choruses from Michael are hallmarks of the title track and ‘Torpedo of Truth’; Dreyer offers borderline apocalyptic runs on the latter song, which Leon follows up with energetic and lively rhythm playing. The instruments are all easily distinct and easy to pick out thanks to an all around fantastic engineering job. From Ralph Patlan’s beefy mix and tones to Noel Summerville’s delightfully clipping-free mastering, The Devils Cut sounds spectacular in every regard. Patlan also lends his keyboard skills to ‘Storm Chaser’, which rides a swinging ‘70s hard rock groove driven by Leon’s bouncing bass lines. It’s the kind of song that would have fit beautifully on a classic Thin Lizzy record over thirty years back, and it’s a favorite of mine among the more metal-oriented tracks. The Devils Cut finishes on a slower note with the lumbering march of ‘The Sun Also Rises’. While variety within the track itself is nice, having a towering juggernaut like ‘The Sun Also Rises’ end the album after the upbeat ‘Storm Chaser’ and the speedy ‘Torpedo of Truth’ turns out to be somewhat underwhelming.
The Devils Cut is a wonderfully consistent listen, and a frequently astounding display of incredible musicianship. It isn’t perfect of course- there isn’t a track on here that surpasses the unreal electromotive force of ’40 Deuces’, but The Devils Cut is a far more cohesive and engrossing start to finish listen than any White Wizzard record that has come before. Jon Leon has not only crafted White Wizzard’s strongest top to bottom record, but he’s also assembled a band that truly gives his songs 110%. Again. While I’m sure Leon could pull off that same heavy metal black magic one more time if need be, I really hope he doesn’t have to. To be honest, this lineup seems pretty special. Joseph Michael gives White Wizzard their most diverse set of vocals on record, Jake Dreyer and Will Wallner dazzle at every turn with their soloing and Giovanni Durst has never been more propulsive as a drummer. From a musician’s standpoint, The Devils Cut is full of shock and awe and every turn. From a listener’s standpoint, The Devils Cut is yet another great batch of classic heavy metal songs from a band that’s seemingly incapable of making a bad one. Regardless of where White Wizzard are at tomorrow, it looks like Jon Leon has earned another notch on his belt- dude should be proud.
Rating: 8.5/10
Record Label: Century Media/Earache Records
Release Date:
June 3rd 2013 (Europe)
June 25th 2013 (US)
Track Listing:
1. Forging The Steel
2. Strike The Iron
3. Kings Of The Highway
4. Lightning In My Hands
5. Steal Your Mind
6. The Devils Cut
7. Torpedo Of Truth
8. Storm Chaser
9. The Sun Also Rises
Links:
whitewizzardofficial.com
facebook.com/WhiteWizzard
twitter.com/WHITEWIZZARD