Fozzy

The myth reads as such: five young American musicians sign a very poor contract with a Japanese record company and, after their label goes bankrupt, spend the next 20 years trapped in the land of the rising sun. While exiled, their songs are stolen by the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, the Scorpions, etc. and are popularised. Twenty years later, Fozzy has returned and they're pissed. The truth? Fozzy is really WWF superstar Chris Jericho, backed by members of Stuck Mojo, but it doesn't matter - never let truth ruin a perfectly serviceable lie. While Fozzy will no doubt receive massive attention from to their fiction and their members, they are actually a just great '80s metal band. While all but two tracks on their self-titled debut are covers, they are done exceptional well and the voice of Jericho... Mongoose McQueen, fits so perfectly with this style of '80s metal that you'd expect "Number of the Beast" to kick in at any second. While "Number..." is sadly absent, a glaring oversight, kick-ass versions of "Live Wire" (Mötley Crüe), "Over The Mountain" (Ozzy Osbourne) and Maiden's "The Prisoner," among other tracks by hair metal's finest, are all here and rockin' like Dokken. The two originals ("End of Days" and "Feel The Burn") are also first rate, a little more Mojo than glam rock, but the combination is sound and bolds well for Fozzy's future endeavours. While Fozzy's covers and gimmick are incredibly entertaining, it'll be interesting to hear an all-original Fozzy record, since the talent is there.