Album Review: White Wizzard – Infernal Overdrive (M-Theory Audio)

LA based metal band White Wizzard will release their 4th album, Infernal Overdrive, on January 12th 2018 via M-Theory Audio. The record features the band’s classic members, bassist Jon Leon, vocalist Wyatt “Screaming Demon” Anderson and guitarist James J. LaRue.

A rolling drum beat, a wicked riff, a high-pitched screech…Infernal Overdrive is all about the metal. A traditional, old-school effort that fans of Dio & Judas Priest will really get along with.

The title track rises like an offended beast, Storm the Shores crashes & breaks as the lumbering thing shakes off the dust and Pretty May roars with passion. The beastly opening trio gets the head’s banging & the horns thrown.

Infernal Overdrive is a up-tempo record that sprays riffs around with the veritable ease of a band who’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s not just the riffs though. Vocals that have the power to make you sit up & take notice, solos that can be best described as ‘wailing’ & just a touch of melody. All of this makes White Wizzard’s efforts here a mostly memorable one.

It’s flaws, of which there few, mainly relate to them not knowing when to call time on a track. Chasing Dragons is over 8-minutes long, Voyage of the Wolf Raiders hits the 9-minute mark and Critical Mass also passes 8 minutes. A lot of the intracites are lost as the brain begins to shut down from repetition. Shave a few minutes off here & there would see Infernal Overdrive fare a little better.

Thankfully though, it’s still a mighty heavy metal album as the excellent darkened groove of Cocoon promises to fulfill all your lustful desires. The riffs & vocals are so on point here.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Infernal Overdrive ends with the longest track so far. Coming at over 11 minutes, The Illuision’s Tears begins like a ballad with soft melody & quietly sung vocals. It’s a sweet & memorable start that increases in tempo but never gets too heavy. A mid-point slowdown threatens to derail it though as it just falls flat & goes on for too long. Fortunately a hyper finale, delivering an intense guitar solo, ends things strongly.

White Wizzard – Infernal Overdrive Full Track Listing:

1. Infernal Overdrive
2. Storm the Shores
3. Pretty May
4. Chasing Dragons
5. Voyage of the Wolf Raiders
6. Critical Mass
7. Cocoon
8. Metamorphosis
9. The Illusion’s Tears

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You can order the album on Bandcamp, via Amazon above, Spotify and via Apple Music below as well as hear earlier releases. You can keep up to date with White Wizzard news over on Facebook.