For their latest release New Waste, Canada's Black Wizard find themselves on Listenable Records, home to many a heavy act, and this new pairing pays off in spades with this new collection of raucous, classic metal, doom, and stoner vibes. Comprised of Adam Grant (vocals, guitar), Eugene Parkomenko (drums), Evan Joel (bass), and Danny Stokes (guitar), the guys in Black Wizard have carefully digested all those classic Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Motorhead, Pentagram, and Judas Priest albums, spewing out a sound that is vintage yet modern, dark yet upbeat, crushingly heavy yet occasionally proggy.
"Revival" kicks things off in fine fashion, as slow, punishing riffs cascade over infectious grooves, while the more galloping "Harsh Times" ups the speed ante and reminds of Lemmy & Co. cranking out that early speed metal with a touch of Lizzy class. The band throw a little blues & prog into their stew with the atmospheric "Laughing and Lost", complete with some sultry organ & tasty twin lead guitars, and opt for a more modern stance on the Mastodon influenced "Vivian Girls". Just to make sure you are completely kept on your toes at all times, Black Wizard then break into an upbeat AC/DC meets ZZ Top romp with "Eliminator", then drag out some psych induced prog on the doom laden "Unnecessary Evil", with dreamy vocals floating over effects laden arrangements and heavy riffs. After a brief instrumental interlude "Waiting For", the two final cuts, "The Priest" and "Final Ripper" merge Sabbath styled riffs, Motorhead intensity, and Lizzy/Maiden twin guitar majesty, but with the swagger of Mastodon, making for a wild conclusion to the album. The lead vocals throughout are decent, more of a higher range wail that complements the music just fine; Grant never tries to overshadow any of the arrangements, which works out quite well.
With plenty of modern as well as vintage influences seeping in, New Waste has something for every metal/hard rock fan. Doomy, bluesy, proggy, psychedelic, and just plain old heavy...it's all here folks.
Track Listing
1) Revival
2) Harsh Time
3) Laughing and Lost
4) Vivian Girls
5) Eliminator
6) Unnecessary Evil
7) Waiting For
8) The Priest
9) Final Ripper
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