Goochan

I know it's very early in the year to start determining which albums will end up on my Metal Reviews Awards list for 2007. But if Wizard's latest offering is any indication of how things will be for the rest of 2007, then it is sure to be one hell of a year for metal. With that being said and at this point in time, "Goochan" will be very high on my awards list for 2007 and is a sure contender for an "Album of the Year" nomination. "Goochan" is Wizard's seventh album to date, first for Massacre records. The current lineup consists of Sven D'Anna (vocals, keyboards), Dano Boland (guitars), Volker. Leson (bass) and Soren Van Heek (drums). The artwork was done by the same artist that did the latest Blind Guardian album, "A Twist In The Myth". "Goochan" is an album that, from start to finish, grabs you by the balls and doesn't let go. Out of all the Wizard releases to date, this is their best by far; very catchy song writing with memorable choruses, excellent production values (courtesy of Dennis Ward), a very strong lead vocal performance with macho background vocals to match, killer guitar riffs with blistering guitar solos, pummeling power drumming and thunderous bass lines. "Goochan" is a conceptual album that is a bit confusing to follow at times yet the storyline behind it is quite interesting. It includes elements of fantasy and science fiction. I'll try to explain the story line as best as I can from the way I interpreted the lyrics. The opening track, "Witch of the Enchanted Forest" describes the dilemma that the heroine of this tale, Goochan (pronounced Goo-han), must face. A holy war must be started in order to save Mother Earth from the impending threat from outer space. She must summon the power of all that lives to defend Mother Earth with nature's forces, including the forgotten spirits. "Pale Rider" is the antagonist of this story. He is the Bringer of Death, Lord of Destruction. His goal is to suck out the life and energy of Mother Earth in order to sustain the life of his own tribe, who live in a dark world behind the clouds above. The Witch of the Enchanted Forest summons a "Call To The Dragon"; a majestic creature whose race was destroyed by humans and is the last of his kind. His hatred towards them is what drives this mystical animal to help save Mother Earth. The Dragon understands that the task at hand could have dire consequences. The "Children of the Night" seem to be the army that are loyal to the Pale Rider. They live deep in the caves of hills and mountains, waiting to torture and kill. The "Black Worms" are the creatures released by Balthasar (more about him later). Looking for vengeance and might, they work their way towards the heart of Mother Earth and begin their destruction. "Lonely In The Desert" describes the Dragon's fate. After a vicious battle with with the dark forces, he is mortally wounded. As he lay dying, he hears his ancestor's souls calling to him and sees a light in the distance. At this point he knows that there is nothing anyone or anything can do to save him. He knows his sacrifice in death is the only way to help save Mother Earth. The Witch laments of the Dragon's passing in the track, "Dragon's Death". She sees the Dragon's spirit in the sky and starts to contemplate her own fate, whether she will live or die. "The Sword of Vengeance" is Mother Earth's last hope in saving herself from the evil cast upon it. The Sword is created by the souls that have escaped from the dying ones, melting together to an incarnation of power, forming a sword. The Witch feels this power and lets it shine above the world, which is a call to The Thunder Warriors (more on them later). "The Two Faces of Balthasar" is the turning point of the story. Balthasar was consumed by his lust for power, might and force. He wanted to prove himself to The Pale Rider by creating creatures of destruction in order to conquer Mother Earth.. The word's of Goochan's mother torment Balthasar by teaching him compassion, which in turn make him wonder why he has to destroy Mother Earth in order to save his home. Balthasar's new found hatred for his master consumes him and causes him to kill The Pale Rider. The "Return of the Thunder Warriors" brings the storyline to it's finale. Reborn by the Sword of Vengeance, four kings wield the might of the hammer, the bow, the axe and the sword in order to attack the Worms and The Children of the Night and help save Mother Earth. Newly created to stand forever, nothing can stop the Thunder Warriors. To make some musical observations, I can't get over how much the lead singer sounds like Zak Stevens (Savatage/Circle II Circle); the only difference being that Wizard's vocalist has a slight accent that indicates the bands country of origin, Germany. The guitar fills at the beginning of the opening track, "Witch of the Enchanted Forest", have a very Rainbow feel to them. The driving riff in "Pale Rider" could be a distant cousin of Motley Crue's "Dr Feelgood". There's also a rare acoustical guitar break midway through the song. "Call To The Dragon" ventures on speed metal territory ala Blind Guardian, including some militaristic like snare drum patterns. "Lonely In Desert Land" sounds similar to the guitar chord pattern in the Rammstein track "Engel". "Dragon's Death" reminds me of something Iced Earth influenced. It's the best track on the CD for me with speedy double bass drums and aggressive guitar riffing. "Sword of Vengeance" gives me the Rob Halford chills on the higher vocal ranges. The vocalist even experiments a little on this track with some gruff vocals, almost bordering death metal territory on a few parts. I came very close to scoring this album 100/100 but had to deduct some points because of a few minor gripes, which in no way should affect the overall attraction this album has. For one, the grammatical structure and phrasing of the written lyrics reminds me of how Yoda from Star Wars talks; the flow of the lyrics can be a bit choppy at times but for a group of musicians who's native tongue is German, Wizard can write and sing in English pretty damn good. Also, the narrator at the beginning of "The Witch of the Enchanted Forest" sounds like the same one used on many of Rhapsody's albums. For some reason, I just can't stand his voice. I don't like his tone of voice or the way he enunciates and articulates the spoken dialogue. And for the storyline itself, I was a bit confused as to how some characters fit into the story. For example, what happenend to the Thunder Warriors before they returned through The Sword of Vengeance? And are the Children of the Night actual humans already living on Mother Earth only to turn against her because they are under the Pale Rider's mind control? As for the Dragon, he hates humankind yet he heeds Goochan's plea for help even though she is supposedly human too. And Balthasar; is he also a human like the Children of the Night? I was also wondering why Goochan, a witch, didn't have more of a role in using, which I would believe to be, the ability to cast spells of some kind. Oh well, the music is what really counts! This album is receiving extended spins and continues to dominate my playlist . Wizard's "Goochan" is sure to give metal brethren bands like Blind Guardian a run for their money. It's a solid album through and through! Often called "Germany's answer to Manowar", Wizard truly delivers something magical! Another highlight is the news that in the summer 2007, original guitarist Michael Maass (who left the band originally for private and professional reasons) will return to the Wizard line up after a three year hiatus, giving Wizard a double axe attack that is sure to give any of their studio recordings a more accurate representation in the live setting.