White Wizzard

White Wizzard is: Jon Leon - Bass, Guitars Dylan Marks - Drums James J. La Rue - Guitars Wyatt "Screaming Demon" Anderson - Vocals BIO: White Wizzard hails from Los Angeles CA. Tired of the down-tuned screamo metal that seemed to be everywhere, bass player Jon Leon formed White Wizzard in the summer of 2007. The goal was simple - to bring the songwriting, melody and good times back into metal and rock. Over the next 5 years they released two full length albums 'Over The Top' (2010) and 'Flying Tigers' (2011) along with their debut EP ''High Speed GTO' (2007). They toured the world opening for some of the most renowned names in Heavy Metal and spearheaded the underground movement of the 'New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal'. Unfortunately the band was plagued by numerous line-up changes and found it difficult to build momentum. Other than original founder Jon Leon the only other member that remained consistent was drummer Giovanni Dürst who joined in 2009. As a graduate of the Berklee College of Music (2006) Dürst incorporated his thrash influences utilizing his advanced double bass technique which has become an important part of the White Wizzard signature sound. Towards the end of 2011, with multiple tours booked, and another line-up change the band desperately needed a lead guitarist. Enter Jake Dreyer who at the time was studying at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Dreyer auditioned and two weeks later was touring the world. After being heavily influenced by Shrapnel artists Dreyer had developed a highly advanced 'shred' technique the likes of which White Wizzard had never seen. Following those tours in the beginning of 2012 the band finalized its 'dual lead guitar' attack with the recruitment of British guitarist Will Wallner. With a more blues based melodic style influenced from guitarists such as Ritchie Blackmore, Wallner offered a much welcomed contrast to Dreyer. Together they could offer the full spectrum of styles and techniques while maintaining their own unique voice within the band. Immediately this partnership was put to test with the recording a new song called 'Torpedo Of Truth'. The song featured more lead guitar solos which was something that had been lacking on previous releases. This set the tone for a new direction in sound and would sow the seeds for their highly anticipated third full length release. The only problem that remained was the band still hadn't found the right frontman. After returning from a successful trip to Japan they began to search for the perfect singer to complete the line-up. Will Wallner suggested Joseph Micheal who he had worked with prior to joining White Wizzard. His voice instantly grabbed the rest of the bands attention. Not only could Michael offer a powerful voice with a high range but he also had the personality and stage presence needed to front a heavy metal band. The bands future started to look promising and they immediately toured the US and Canada in the summer of 2012. Word soon began to spread that White Wizzard were back with their strongest line-up to date. Following the tour they began working on a new album to be recorded at beginning of 2013 with long time producer Ralph Patlan. Appropriately titled 'The Devils Cut' the album features the most dynamic and diverse music the band has ever produced. Through years of struggle Jon Leon has matured and grown as a songwriter and now with a permanent line-up of talented musicians it seems his goal may finally come to fruition. 'The Devils Cut' will be released on June 25th via Century Media and Earache records. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.