Fozzy: Sandpaper – new video

 

 

“Jericho [Chris, vocalist] mentioned that this was FOZZY's ‘Black Album’,” [argues David Jeffries in his review of FOZZY's August 2012 release ‘Sin And Bones’] “throwing some metal fans into a message-board tizzy because that 1991 masterpiece is really called METALLICA, but since MASTODON went astral, Dio passed, and GHOST are just so mysterious, FOZZY serve a purpose, getting metal fans to that Frank Franzetta [American artist] place in a riff or two, while offering some modern twists that can be taken as fun, shameless, or both.” [More here]

‘Sandpaper’ comes off the WWE wrestler Chris Jericho-fronted, Century Media-released FOZZY's fifth album ‘Sin And Bones’, featuring guest vocalist M. Shadows (AVENGED SEVENFOLD). The album, produced by guitarist Rich Ward, debuted on the Billboard's Top 200 albums chart at number 143 and had conquered Billboard's Heatseekers chart, marking best-selling first week ever for the band. Listen to another new FOZZY tune, ‘Spider In My Mouth’, here (SoundCloud) and, captivated, buy your own copy of ‘Sin And Bones’ here (CM Distro Europe) or here (CM Distro USA).

 

It’s a rather well known facts that FOZZY is a legendary American metal band led by singer Moongoose McQueen who, while trying to make it big in Japan for twenty years, had their material stolen by the likes of SCORPIONS and OZZY OSBOURNE. It’s also true that heavy metal doesn’t get much bigger than FOZZY.

Started by Chris Jericho and STUCK MOJO's guitarist Rich Ward in 1999, FOZZY's self-titled debut studio album came out in 2000 on Palm Pictures and Megaforce Records: “Considering that FOZZY is in reality a rap-metal band fronted by a professional wrestler, the album is surprisingly not bad,” commented the cover (DIO, TWISTED SISTER, IRON MAIDEN…) album Steve Huey, AllMusic (more here). The band's next similar feat was called ‘Happenstance’; it included original material as well as covers and was issued in 2002 through Megaforce Records. “There’s no denying that the group has grown into a powerful metal band in the style of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, with extra added elements of '80s-era heavy metal,” wrote Greg Prato upon FOZZY's releasing their third longplayer, ‘All That Remains’, in 2005 (more here). The band's fourth studio album, 2010's ‘Chasing The Grail’, debuted at number 6 on the USA's Billboard Heatseeker's chart. Issued through Riot Entertainment, the album was reviewed by James Christopher Monger, AllMusic as follows:

“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, FOZZY have crafted another solid collection that successfully bridges the gaps between GODSMACK, the SCORPIONS, and BLACK SABBATH,” [more here]

FOZZY features: Chris Jericho – vocals, Rich Ward – guitar and vocals, Frank Fontsere (also of STUCK MOJO) – drums, Paul Di Leo (also of ADRENALINE MOB) – bass and Billy Grey – guitar