BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
Every few weeks I take a step back from the normal topical and obscure discussions to broaden my musical lexicon. Some bands just don’t cross paths with you for some reason. Be it location, the crowd you hang out with, the interest, whatever it may be. Some time’s it’s just the lack of hours in a day. Sometimes you hear a band, know a single or two, but never really gave them a fair shot. It happens to everyone. For me, I like to take this time to listen to a band’s entire studio discography and form an honest first impression. It’s an on-going ramble of whatever’s on my brain. It’s a long winded train of consciousness created by my impression of the music. It’s a very risky task, but someone has to do it.
Why Fozzy?
Why not Fozzy? I’m a huge fan of Chris Jericho’s work in professional wrestling and I’m a fan of old school metal so why not? They have five studio albums and I can honestly say I’ve not heard more than a song or two thanks to WWE’s programming. I know some of the backstory. I know the band started off as a cover band with a fun sense of humor. At first Jericho was using a different stage name and the band had a cool backstory. I remember something about how they put out a cover album and claimed that they were originally their songs that got ripped off. It was a fun gimmick. Since then it seems they take their selves much more serious. I’ve seen they’ve played big festivals and small clubs. They just play a lot and from what I hear rocks a lot. I’m weary that it’ll get repetitive to listen to for four solid hours straight, but I’m also optimistic because if Jericho is anything like he is as a wrestling performer then this should rock. Does metal have a work rate? Let’s find out!
Fozzy
(2000 – 40 minutes) - The first song up is a Dio cover, "Stand Up and Shout". It starts off as dramatically haunting as it the original, and then Jericho’s vocals kick in. Automatically I’m taken back, impressive harmony on Jericho’s part. It’s a bad ass rendition for sure and does the original justice. Too often a cover song will be lame and not do the original justice. If Fozzy’s cover collection is like this, I’m going to have some fun for the next four hours. Next up is "Eat the Rich", a Krokus cover, that kicks into gear from blast off. It breaks down to a really cool base line as Jericho struts through the classic lyrics. When I first read it I was excited to hear Jericho attempt an Aerosmith cover. No luck, but this was another good head banger. The guitar solo is outstanding. "Stay Hungry" is a cool cover choice. When you’re going to cover Twisted Sister most people automatically assume you’ll for one of the sure shots. This song doesn’t take any breaths. It just goes at you for the three minutes straight. A few years back I had the pleasure of having my mind blown by Iron Maiden at an Ozzfest. Fozzy’s cover of "The Prisoner" brings me back to that night. Wow. The intro is cheesy as hell, but you can’t help but want to evil laugh with them. The song kicks in and it’s no joke. Jericho’s range really shows here and it’s a wider range that I would have ever imagined. Not just anyone can hit those notes. Mötley Crüe’s "Live Wire" is great and almost seems like a song that someone shouldn’t screw around with unless it involves a lot of cheap bear, cheap women, and karaoke. They nail the power of the drumming in it. Fozzy has TWO original songs on this album. The first one up is "End of Days". It’s a really solid rock tune. It’s got great guitar, it’s catchy, and shows some potential for what they could do with their own material. Fozzy’s namesake finally gets covered in “Over the Mountain”. It’s a good cover, but not something that jumps at me like the others so far. I’ve known a few people who were HUGE fans of the Scorpions. I’ve just never gotten into them. This cover of “Blackout” is not bad at all. It comes and goes without sticking to my brain too much. My interest picks right back up though. Fozzy’s second original tune is “Feel the Burn”. It’s the better of the two. It doesn’t feel like a “classic rock” song so much. It has a more contemporary feel to it, especially the bridge sounding like Korn, but it still has the energy of the classic era. I’m surprised this wasn’t a big single. If I had heard this in 2000, I’d probably have been listening to them consistently since. Fozzy’s cover-riffic debut album wraps up with a cover of Judas Priest’s “Riding on the Wind”. Again, it’s a solid cover and a solid closer to a solid album. I really enjoyed getting into this and hearing Jericho do his thing. I’m not going to lie, I did not expect his vocal skills to be THAT impressive. I now understand why he’s wrestling a lighter schedule. Wow! This project is more than Chris Jericho though. While his vocals rock, the musicianship on this is pretty awesome. It’s ballsy to put a cover album out like this. You’re basically making a customized “Greatest Hits” album of all your favorites and then attempting to bring new life to them while respecting the original. I’m not big on “cover bands” too much. If I’m going to go out to a show I want to see something original. Otherwise I can save the money and hassle and just party elsewhere with a good sound system. I do appreciate the skills and talent here though. It’s hard to really form an opinion based on my own premonitions about “cover bands”. I just know I want to hear more!
Happenstance
(2002 – 48 minutes) - This album has more balance between covers and original tracks. The covers look interesting and I’m really curious to hear more of Fozzy’s original jams. The album starts off with "Whitechapel 1888”, an eerie intro that drifts into a really haunting piano melody that reminds me of Danny Elfman. Cool intro! Too bad it’s only a minute. They keep it going with "To Kill a Stranger", an original. It’s a strong build up for the intro that breaks for the chorus. This is one of those songs you can’t help but head bang with. The chorus isn’t up the par with the rest of the song, but it’s not bad at all. The title track, "Happenstance" rips into a cool rock out intro. It breaks down for Jericho to sing in a swooping harmonious style. I like the mid-tempo on this song and Jericho’s chorus delivery is kick ass. This song just comes together nicely and is the best of the few originals I’ve heard so far. The first cover of the album comes in the form of Judas Priest’s “Freewheel Burning”. It drills right into your brain. Holy shit! Jericho throws his vocal chords into a pit of fire on this one. It’s impossible to not clinch your fist while listening to this. Black Sabbath’s “The Mob Rules” comes up next. It’s a good cover. I found myself getting lost in it more than analyzing it. That’s always a good sign. Another Scorpions’ cover?! At least it’s “Big City Nights”. Jericho smoothly grooves through it. The chorus could be more powerful, but it’s not a bad tune at all. The original song “Crucify Yourself” is up next. It goes right into some intense riffs and awesome build-up. It’s the kind of build-up that you know is going to pay off in an explosive way. It breaks down a little before Jericho’s croons kick in. The chorus is metal as shit. This is the most aggressive of their originals so far. Awesome stuff. We get a W.A.S.P. cover next. I think I might actually like Fozzy’s "L.O.V.E. Machine" better. It’s got a smoother swagger to it than the original that sounds cool. Accept’s “Balls to the Wall” rocks out next. This is an awesome cover of an epic song. It doesn’t miss a beat! No pun intended, but it takes a lot of “balls” to put this cover out there. Great track! Fozzy’s own “With the Fire” slaughters us with some intense riffs. Jericho brings his chops to the mic and holds up his end of the audio pleasure. I love the drumming on this song and the breakdown about half way in rocks the world off its axis. This is another one of those songs that if I heard it when it came out I’d had been a big fan already. Their original stuff is showing some really good promise. This album closes out with Iron Maiden’s “Where Eagles Dare”. It’s decent enough. Jericho hits the crazy note towards the end, but until that point it’s kind of just there. I wasn’t feeling this as a closer. I liked the covers on the first album better than this one, but the original material rocked my socks off. I like the progress so far. Knowing the next album is going to be more of what I want makes me excited to hit “play” already. So let’s get at it….
All That Remains
(2005 – 42 minutes) - This is the point in the band’s run where they dropped their backstory and put out an album of all original material. This should be interesting. The opening track is "Nameless Faceless". It doesn’t waste too much time before cranking in. It’s a grittier fist shaker for sure. It’s a solid old school sounding rock song. Jericho’s vocals are tight as ever, but we also get extra vocals from the clearly the awesome Myles Kennedy. Up next is "Enemy", a down tempo track. It starts off at a more melodic tempo and slowly builds up to the chorus, but doesn’t really go too heavy. I like the down tempo work here. Jericho can scream and get the rock out there, but tracks like this show off his really impressive singing voice. "Wanderlust" is up next. Hear that guitar? Yeah, it’s Zakk Wylde! The music slowly haunts the ears until breaks into a fast speaking Jericho delivering some cool lyrics. Then out of nowhere, the song breaks into ballad. I don’t know how I feel about that. I was into it until that point. The album’s title track, “All That Remains" kicks in next. This is another cool ass down tempo tune at start. It takes about a minute to build into an epic chorus. This track reminds me of an Ozzy song, which is more than a compliment. The vocals are on par with the Oz-Man, but the music is a little too good for what I’m used to on a normal Ozzy track. It’s just a bit more contemporary. I really like this one. "The Test" is a rock out. The intro slams the guitars and then the vocals hit and its strange delivery. Almost like frantic Corey Taylor style and then it goes into smooth vocals. It’s not bad at all! This song sounds more modern than the classic vibe I’ve gotten from most of their stuff so far. I really like the change ups here and the different direction taken. The “This is only a test” part is cool shit. Bone Crusher makes an appearance on "It's a Lie". It’s weird. It’s kind of rap, but it’s not. Jericho slowly sings as the music slowly throbs and builds. It then goes into a weird rap thing. At first you automatically want to brush it off as a failed effort, but it actually works. It’s not the new “Walk This Way” or “Bring The Noise” but it’s an interesting composition. The guitar to start off "Daze of the Weak" is amazing. Jericho chants in with vocals as the music just smashes your ear holes. The lyric of “a lifetime of cheap wine” made my mouth water a little in sad way. I love how the guitars break down and then wail into the solo as the drums pound. It’s almost intimidating! I think this is my favorite track on the album. "The Way I Am" features Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge and Creed fame. It’s a groover. The base line carries it through as the guitars form a fortress only Jericho’s vocals, a cross between Ozzy and David Lee Roth, can pass. "Lazarus" is a magnificent tune. I spaced out from typing while listening to it. I just got into the song. It’s an epic beast with layers of sound to dissect and appreciate. Really well written composition! "Born of Anger" featuring the awesome Marty Friedman closes this beast out. This track gets into some heavy ass growl metal. Then the Jericho vocals are slithering and creepy. If he wanted, he could sing like that more often and do a whole goth rock thing. This is a GREAT ender. The guitar solo about two or so minutes in just about blew my mind. I wasn’t expecting it. A lot of albums close out with a softy, but these dudes end with the heaviest shit in their discog so far. Wowzers. The casual piano outro at the end is a pleasant fade out to a fantastic album. I did not expect to find myself rocking out this much and enjoying myself. It’s not that I thought it’d be bad, but I didn’t expect it to be THIS good either. I like some of the bigger classics, but I’m not a classic metal guy. I would have been if more sounded like this. It’s got a classic metal vibe to it, but it feels fresh. It’s like when you see or hear someone performing on a high level while enjoying what they’re doing. They don’t give you a choice but to absorb their vibe and enjoy it as well. There is a certain kind of awesomeness that normally comes in result of that exchange. I’m not sure if Fozzy is twenty years too late on being the biggest band in metal or twenty years too early. Regardless, I have a feeling these next two albums are going to rawk.*
(*Personal Edit Note: Yes, “rawk”, as in sounds like “hawk”)
Chasing the Grail
(2010 – 65 minutes) - The band’s fourth album starts off with "Under Blackened Skies". No long winded intros or screwing about here. They go right at it. I love the vocal change ups, the drumming is awesome, the guitar is on par with its normal high quality, and this one just really comes together. It’s good to the point where I had to check if it were a cover of an iconic band I was sleeping on. Needless to say, I enjoyed the opener. "Martyr No More" starts off with a stellar guitar riff. It builds up with some cool cadence, drops to a change-up, and then goes to a cool and gravely chorus. This was apparently a single and I hear why. The chorus is addicting. "Grail" takes a step back in tempo. It’s a slow brooding track that stammers through. Jericho is singing about wizards and magic potions. Despite that, the music accompaniment makes up for it. It’s not my favorite for sure, but it’s interesting in a good way. "Broken Soul" is a soulful ballad. It took me off guard. The harmony is really sweet on this one for a rock ballad. "Let the Madness Begin" takes things up a notch with a swanky guitar intro that reminds me that Guns N’ Roses used to exist. I enjoy this one as well. It’s one of those songs that make your head safely proceed forward in a banging motion. The lyrics stand out to me as being especially cool. I’d throw this one in my “favorites” pile for sure. "Pray for Blood" is an epic. Jericho shouts about the god’s of war as the music blasts. This track left everything on the table. I’m hoping this next one gives me a chance to breath for a second. I get that on "New Day's Dawn". The soothing vocals and light simplistic background builds into a down tempo tune that Jericho soulfully pounds through. The vocal contrasts are cool. At about a minute and a half in, there is a daunting chorus sound that comes in and turns the song’s tone into something much darker. Weird song. "God Pounds His Nails" kidnapped my brain for a few minutes. The guitars on this bitch swept me up. Great stuff. I started to type “they nailed it”, but I realized it was little to “punny”. We’re at the point in most albums where a band will throw their filler at us. "Watch Me Shine" is not filler. It’s not a crusher or anything, but it’s good stuff. I’m not looking it up, but the title "Paraskavedekatriaphobia (Friday the 13)" is most likely a fear of not rocking out. It’s a damn good and amusing song. The melody gets all serious and intense with "Revival". It goes into a ranty vocal delivery that’s really cool contrasted with some really well sung vocals. The breakdown bridge rocks and blends right back to balls of the song. The album closes up with my favorite ingredient in absinthe, "Wormwood"! Its well over ten minutes long. The first minute is creepy and then it goes into a smooth and simple guitar and then builds into a whole different creature. At one point, Jericho sings through a song in a folksy way but it turns out to be a song about the Anti-Christ, Armageddon, and tons of other mythological fun stuff. On the surface you’d like “that sounds cheesy”, but not the case! It comes off almost like a rock opera production. This is musical storytelling at its purest best. This song reminds me of the VERY underrated recent rock opera “Repo! The Genetic Opera”. By 9 minutes into this odyssey of music I’m hoping that we get a full blown concept album out of these guys before it’s all said and done. This album had a lot going for it. The band continues to get tighter and better with each outing. I continue to be constantly impressed and taken back by not only Jericho’s exceptional singing abilities but by the band’s ridiculous skill. One more album left…
Sin and Bones
(2012 – 52 minutes) - Fozzy’s most recent release starts off with a kick us in the ear hole with "Spider in My Mouth". It’s a creepy intro that eventually fades into a distorted version of a child singing “itsy bitsy spider” and then distant guitars kicks in. Then boom, blast off. The chorus breaks and it’s a different song. I don’t know if I dig that specific change up, but the aggressive parts of the song rock. M. Shadows makes an appearance on "Sandpaper". This is another one of those rockers that I had to look to make sure it wasn’t a cover I missed out on. It sounds polished pretty damn good. The break down stuff is a little off-putting. It reminds me of Jackyl in a little way. I’m not feeling it. Then "Blood Happens". This song brings my interests right back. The drilling guitars and riffs kick major ass and the drums make it larger-than-life. Jericho destroys in this one. Incredible track. I continue to be impressed with "Inside My Head”, a lower tempo soulful rocker. It’s just a solid as hell song. It’s catchy and sounds great on headphones. The album’s title track, "Sin and Bones", is almost bouncy in its metal melody. Jericho strains out the vocals like champ, but the drums going ape shit at all the right points is what I think makes this one special. Things calm down a bit with "A Passed Life". It’s a slow and easy melody brewing that’s reminiscent of “Sad But True”, but then it goes into a different direction completely. It has a firm base tone to it, but it still feels like it’s being whispered to us as we’re adrift through somewhere unsavory. It does have that old school Metallica vibe to it on the basis that they’d make really melodic and symphonic metal tracks. Jericho takes his vocals to a Sebastian Bach area though, which is really interesting. I like this one a lot too. This album is turning out to be awesome. "She's My Addiction" feels like it’s a harder Motely Crue or Poison party anthem. It’s a good one. After the last track, this one brings the pulse right back up. I literally found myself mouthing the words “fuck yes” during this song. "Shine Forever" carries on the chain of awesome tunes. The muddy guitar melody just stomps though long enough to all out in a short solo about three and half minutes in before the bridge. "Dark Passenger" starts with a crazy and haunting piano and it builds to solid rock out of a song. I feel like I’ve heard this song before. The title instantly made me think about the TV show “Dexter”. Another goom one. Fozzy’s fifth studio release closes out with "Storm the Beaches". We hear a piano as Jericho recites an old war poem. Then we hear a thunderous outbreak of metal as we’re treated to a crazy war story. The stomp out of the chorus would probably be a cool thing for a live show. The guitar cadence is the driving force of this one. It’s addicting. The word “epic” is overused so much these days that I feel like it’s lost its meaning. In its purest unbastardized form, this song is epic. Metal. As. Fuck. I listen to a lot of music. I miss out on some shit, but I pride myself on being up to date on as much as I can. I did miss the boat on Fozzy, but this album not getting a Grammy would be a disgusting turn of events. “A Passed Life” alone would be enough to blow me away, but the album as a whole is exactly what I want from metal. Holy shit.
THE VERDICT
(2000 – ) - I DO pride myself in liking everything outside of country. My musical palette is pretty big. I like a lot of stuff. I’ve been to a billion concerts of all genres, but mostly modern rock. But I have seen older metal like Motley Crue, Poison, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Ozzy solo, Black Label, Megadeth, Slash, AC/DC, etc. etc. etc. in concert. I’ve listened to classic metal my whole life, but it’s never really been the genre I connected with. My style leans more towards a blues infused style like Zeppelin, U2, The Doors, Bowie, Tool, and my favorite Nine Inch Nails. If it’s good and I can connect to it, I’m all for it. Fozzy is not just good, but great and if don’t appreciate it; in the least for what it is; then you’re just being delusional. They just got better as they went on. The most recent album, Sin and Bones is my favorite metal album since Fashion Bomb’s Visions of a Lifted Veil. I’m going to be blasting these guys for a while.
If you’re a fan of Chris Jericho’s wrestling, but never gave his music project a fair shot I think you’re missing out. The band he’s in is great. Each album sounds better than the last. The guitar work shreds, the base drives when it needs to, and the drums pounce your very soul. I’m not even trying to blow smoke up anyone’s ass here. I’m just thoroughly impressed. Chris Jericho’s in-ring charisma and his vocal presence are two different beasts. The dude hangs with the best of all time. I know that sounds CRAZY, but his chops are really impressive. I’ve always thought he was one of the best wrestlers of all time. I have an old personalized autographed picture from his WCW days and even a PRE-“Jerichollic” Jericho shirt. My fandom goes WAY back for the dude. I just never thought about giving a sincere shot to Fozzy. It’s strange because as much as I love wrestling; I’m JUST AS BIG of a music lover. Why this natural progression didn’t happen sooner is beyond me.
Fozzy is playing in my area come September. If I can scrape together extra cash and time, I am seriously thinking about heading out. If I can manage to cover the concert I’ll definitely share the experience. Regardless if I get to enjoy a “first impression” of their live show, I’m going to go back and listen to these albums again. RAWK!
What is YOUR favorite Fozzy album?
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