WWE Wrestling megastar
Chris Jericho
,
Stuck Mojo
guitarist
Rich "The Duke" Ward
, bassist
Sean Delson
, and drummer
Frank Fontsere'
s fourth outing under the
Fozzy
moniker continues to out the one-time cover band as a legitimate player in the unpredictable world of 21st century metal. What started out as a hobby/promotional vehicle for its formidable frontman has manifested itself into a streamlined juggernaut of chunky, unpretentious, old-school metal that measures melody and brutality with equal amounts of affection. Between
Ward
's tasteful, bottom-heavy riffing and
Jericho
's truly impressive pipes,
have crafted another solid collection that successfully bridges the gaps between
Godsmack
, the
Scorpions
, and
Black Sabbath
. Sure, there are missteps (paint-by-numbers ballad
"Broken Soul"
and nu-metal throwback
"New Days Dream"
belong in a mid-'80s
Jerry Bruckheimer
production), but songs like
"Under Blackened Skies,"
"Paraskavedekatriaphobia (Friday the 13),"
and
"Revival"
serve as crushing reminders that heavy metal should conjure up images of the very element for which it's named. ~ James Christopher Monger