The Devils Cut

Once again, White Wizzard has a whole new lineup. For one thing, Wyatt Anderson doesn't sing here. Instead, we have a guy named Joseph Michael. Luckily, he knows how to sing and fits the sound of White Wizzard, while sounding completely different from any of his predecessors. Wyatt Anderson sounded like Rob Halford, Peter Ellis sounded like Bruce Dickinson, James-Paul Luna had his own voice, but what about Joseph Michael? Well, I’m not sure who I could compare him to, but I do hear a slight Johnny Gioeli influence, albeit Joseph has a higher pitched voice than Johnny (for those who don’t know, Johnny sings with Axel Rudi Pell).

The album starts off with a galloping instrumental track called Forging the Steel. It sets the mood for the rest of the album perfectly. The next track, Strike the Iron, keeps the listener interested. And on this track we get to hear our friend Joseph. First time I heard him, to be honest, I was surprised (I expected to hear Wyatt, despite everything). But Joseph’s voice grew to me in a matter of seconds.

There are some elements of High Speed GTO present on this album. Kings of the Highway is possibly the best example, it wouldn't sound out of place on that EP (try to imagine James-Paul singing it). Even Storm Chaser sounds somewhat like something from the aforementioned EP. However, I think Kings of the Highway is better of the two tracks.

Similar to Flying Tigers, but unlike Over the Top, this album features a ballad. This time, we have a track called Steal Your Mind and it’s one good ballad: it’s not wimpy, it features competent singing, there’s also a nice solo (it may not be a masterpiece solo, but who cares?). However, keep in mind that this track does speed up at about 4:22. Still, more than half of the song is slower (the whole track clocks at a bit more than seven minutes), so it wouldn't be incorrect to call it a ballad.

All in all, I don’t see any specific weaknesses. The album keeps the listener interested, is played by a whole band (unlike Flying Tigers), competent overall musicianship. In my opinion, the best tracks here are Kings of the Highway and Torpedo of Truth, but there’s not one bad track. Too bad the band changed the lineup once again later on… I just hope that won’t destroy them one day.