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FOZZY
Boombox
The Century Family, Inc.
www.fozzyrock.com

You know that your band is getting hot when the social media complainers come out and call you a joke. The fact of the matter is, when FOZZY debuted in 2000, they were a joke. They manufactured personas, a backstory, and performed heavy metal covers claiming the songs were stolen from them. How very wrestling.

The problem with people calling FOZZY a joke is that jokes fizzle out. They’re not continuously releasing new albums and touring the world for 22 years. It really boils down to music preference when it comes to judging a band like FOZZY.

Personally, I never really got into FOZZY. I gave them a try back in the early 2000s because I was a fan of Chris Jericho, the wrestling personality and occasional Metal Edge magazine contributor. I liked their original song “To Kill A Stranger” from their 2002 album Happenstance, but that was about it. I loved guitarist Rich Ward’s 2005 solo effort My Kung Fu Is Good. I was surprised he never followed up on it.

I never paid much attention to them after 2002. Of course I would read or hear that FOZZY was still releasing albums throughout the years, thinking to myself, really? They must be doing well. When FOZZY’s 2017 album Judas hit, I couldn’t just casually come across them, they were everywhere.

With Judas, FOZZY had come a long way from Happenstance. They didn’t even sound the same. Early on FOZZY sounded like JUDAS PRIEST meets MOTLEY CRUE. Today they’re more like THREE DAYS GRACE meets ALTER BRIDGE. Boombox is the 8th studio album by FOZZY.

The opening track “Sane” has a heavy industrial feel to it. Vocalist Chris Jericho channels a bit of current day Ozzy Osbourne in his delivery. “I Still Burn” switches back and forth from melodic to intense between verses and choruses, and employs a singalong ‘whoa oh oh’ hook that should be The Demo God’s next AEW theme song.

“Army of One” is a radio friendly ballad that will resonate with quite a few people. The mid-tempo rocker “Ugly on The Inside” has a great call-and-response chorus section that’s sure to be stuck in your head for days. FOZZY covers the ‘80s Synth-Pop classic “Relax” by FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD. They only take subtle liberties with it, and play it close to the original.

“Nowhere to Run” is a bit on the Pop Rock side of things, with P.J. Farley’s (TRIXTER) chunky bass line dominating throughout. “What Hell Is Like” kicks up the intensity by switching up Jericho’s vocal delivery from melodic to a death growl.

Boombox is chock full of catchy grooves and infectious choruses that play well to the masses. FOZZY isn’t breaking any new musical ground here, but they do prove they can coast along with the rest of the modern Hard Rock music scene today.

4.0 Out Of 5.0