Wizard – Metal In My Head

Wizard
Metal In My Head
Massacre Records
February 19, 2021
43:56

Old traditional bands are booming at the moment. Lately I have reviewed a few albums by such bands. Here comes the next one. Wizard come from Bocholt (North Rhine-Westphalia). Wizard was founded in 1989 and since then they have been releasing new albums regularly. With “Metal In My Head” the dozen is now full. From the original line-up, singer Sven D’Anna and drummer Sören van Heek aka Snoppi Denn are on board without any break. Third founding member, guitarist Michael Maass had left the band for four years in between.

The album was written and recorded during the ongoing pandemic with “lots of support from Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7”. Due to the band not being able to perform live, WIZARD put all their energy into the new album, and you can clearly hear that!

You can read that in the press release. And of course, it made me curious.

“I Bring Light Into The Dark” starts with keyboard sounds and spoken words. But already a little later the musicians show that the album is not a Symphonic but a Power/Heavy Metal album. The drums sound raw. It is noticeable that the drum recordings were not artificially reworked, pure drums. The interplay between the two guitarists is also clearly audible. Twin guitars, comparable to Judas Priest, Saxon or Iron Maiden. Of course, this continues with “Metal Feast”, but a little faster. A metallic high-speed feast. “Metal In My Head” is a clear lyrical statement to what is probably the most beautiful pastime in the world, heavy metal. Singer Sven D’Anna starts off with high-pitched screams in the best Halford style. Also, on “Victory” you can enjoy beautiful twin guitar passages. “30 Years Of Metal” is a great metal anthem and at the same time a reminiscence of the band’s history. After all, Wizzard’s first release was the demo “Legion Of Doom” thirty years ago. And the official band website on the internet was named after it. The beautiful power ballad “Whirlewolf” was not written by Wizard. The song was composed by Gustavo Acosta (Feanor), who also plays the piano here. A good friend and comrade, Martjo “Whirlewolf” Brongers (guitar, a.o. Steel Schock, Vortex), who died unexpectedly in 2019, is remembered here. The lyrics to “Years Of War” also revisit the band’s history. The album ends with the banger “Firesword” and the hymn “Destiny”.

More than thirty years in the metal business and not a bit quieter. That’s how Wizard’s twelfth studio album can be described. This is heavy metal in its purest form. An album that no heavy metal fan should be without in their CD collection. Here’s to the next thirty years, one might say.

WIZARD – Metal In My Head (Official Video): https://youtu.be/yNRon8rD0fU

Lineup:

Sven D’Anna – Vocals
Michael Maass – Guitars
Tommy Hartung – Guitars
Arndt Ratering – Bass
Sören van Heek – Drums

Track list:

• I Bring Light Into The Dark
• Metal Feast
• Metal In My Head
• Victory
• 30 Years Of Metal
• We Fight
• Whirlewolf
• Years Of War
• Firesword
• Destiny