Fozzy
Do You Wanna Start A War

Fozzy ask us if we want to start a war with this album, something all Russians and IS members will cheer for and join in on and since they together count for around 150 million people this album could really become a best seller if they all buy the CD to show their interest in that war. Smart move there, Fozzy!

Last time we heard the band was two years ago when they released 'Sin And Bones'. I wasn't too sold that album, despite a handful of impressive tracks due to its mostly not so impressing tracks. This time Fozzy has knocked it up another notch and made an album with mostly impressive songs and only a few not so impressing ones. A complete turnaround, thus, and that's of course good for the album because that makes it this summer's big positive surprise as it's been taking loops in my iTunes.

The title track opens the album and sets a pretty high bar from the start, a bar they actually only seems to have trouble passing in the following Bad Tattoo and perhaps SOS at the very end. The peak of the album rise from the tracks three to eight where we can hear classic rock songs, heavy power ballads and also a real rock anthem. I really like the two songs where they've had help from other vocalists - Tonight, with Michael Starr, and Unstoppable, with Christie Cook. These two songs really livens up the album with their choruses sung in duet that makes them more diverse and attractive. Not that Chris Jericho can't sing alone, but it just sounds so much better with the guests onboard.

True to the roots of this band, they've also added a cover on this album and the choice fell on a Swedish song this time in Abbas SOS. All though I think it's a fun pick I also think it's a pretty unnecessary element on the album. Sure, Abba songs always sound good in metal clothing, I actually don't think I've ever heard a bad Abba cover by a metal band (except the ones on 'Swedish Hitz Goes Metal' of course). However, in this company it doesn't make things better having it - on this album it's clearly one of the worst songs and all though it's mostly about fun and games with this band you have to consider the music as well on the albums.

The last track on the album is a duet between Jericho and himself doing both aggressive and soft vocals, which is kind of interesting. The conclusion of the album would have worked just as well without the Abba cover but let's not dwell on that. But with the Abba cover I think they've managed to get more or less everything you can squeeze in to an album (even an Abba cover). It's mostly a pretty heavy album - rough in the same way as a gas chamber is rough. But it's also a very good album. Maybe you've already heard the singles One Crazed Anarchist and Lights Go Out, which might have given you a picture of how it sounds (otherwise you can listen to them below). I don't think I'll join them in their war starting, but I think I'll take this trip with this album a few more times.

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