Fozzy - Happenstance


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Megaforce Records / Shock Records
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 48:06:00

This is either a highlight of (and for) heavy metal - or a lowlight. And I can't seem to make my mind up either way. Fozzy features wrestler Chris Jericho (aka Moongoose McQueen aka the wrestler Y2J - or so I've heard) and the band members from Stuck Mojo. Despite my non-interest of all things wrestling, I'll stick to the music inside for this review.

Fozzy showcase 10 tracks of heavy metal with 4 originals and 6 cover songs and an intro track with their five tongues set firmly in cheeks. So, if not taken seriously at all, Happenstance is an enjoyable album. Fozzy's performances are less than desirable - kind of like wrestling [You"re fired! - PPO Ed]. The Fozzy originals are actually quite good in a hard rocking/metal type way and feature the tracks "To Kill A Stranger," "Happenstance," "Crucify Yourself," and "With The Fire." They are pretty cheesy with plenty of simple, catchy riffs and an old-school vocalist who has similarities to many commercially successful rock bands of the 80s. Corn-factor aside, there's an air of confidence and honesty about what they're doing. With big egos following the music (or is that before the music?), Fozzy treat the band, the songs, and their lives presumably, as fun. They are taking the piss out of themselves and everybody else, too. So whilst Manowar may take things completely seriously, Fozzy don't - and herein lies the attraction. This fun-factor is really great to see in metal - just check out the booklet which is a good read in itself. I think they thank everybody in the known (metal) universe.

The covers are a hit and miss affair. Not the choice - which is really quite good - but the way they're done and the performance of "legendary" vocalist Moongoose McQueen. In my ears, they treat the "classics" with a bit of contempt. Either that or else they are just making the songs as cheesy as possible (which, with their humour, is a definite possibility). The covers include Judas Priest's "Freewheel Burning," Black Sabbath's "The Mob Rules," Scorpion's "Big City Nights," WASP's "L.O.V.E. Machine," Accept's "Balls To The Wall," and finally Iron Maiden's "Where Eagles Dare." They really ham it up on the songs.

A good album if you're after a quick fix of metal and a fun album that could have been more with the addition of a few more originals to really show what Fozzy are made of.

Similar To: The bands they cover

This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site. In prepping this review for "reprint" I visited the Fozzy site. They started life as Fozzy Osbourne, which makes more sense to me than my thinking - seeing ads in Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles - that they were named after Fozzy Bear, the Jim Henson (?) creation - PW ed.

Tracklisting:
Whitechapel 1888 / To Kill A Stranger / Happenstance / Freewheel Burning / The Mob Rules / Big City Nights / Crucify Yourself / L.O.V.E. Machine / Balls To The Wall / With The Fire / Where Eagles Dare

Musicians:
Chris Jericho - lead vocals
Rich Ward - guitars, backing vocals
Mike Martin - guitar
Sean Delson - bass
Frank Frontsere - drums

Discography:
Fozzy (2000)
Happenstance (2002)
All That Remains (2005)

Genre: Traditional Metal

Origin US

Added: December 18th 2004
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.fozzyrock.com
Hits: 2271
Language: english

  

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