Review Summary: Wizard’s chess.
Celestial Wizard play an interesting mixture of old school power metal meets black metal. Blackened shrieks collide with good ol’ heavy metal, on the less cheesy side of power metal. Nonetheless punchy choruses, gang vocals, double bass, and some spacey synths give them the tag handily. The type of power metal on offer reminds me of the band Angel Dust. Personally, I enjoy this style of music and believe there aren’t enough power metal bands holding the torch for this specific vibe.
There’s something to be said about the rough assertiveness of the overall soundscape. That includes the gravelly tone of the lead singer, which leads the band with pinache. The production is fine, old sounding perhaps, but the guitar tone and drums have weight. It’s a blast to play in the car, and honestly just a pretty fun album. Old school style metal will never die.
About the black metal motif, it’s less prominent. The black metal portion is mostly created through the harsh vocals, and the chugging guitars are more retro heavy metal than convincing as black metal. However, the harsh vocals provide nice variety in the tracks, at least. More could’ve been done to justify the black metal tag, which is the greatest disappointment when listening to this. Celestial Wizard could’ve been quite a unique band, instead, not so much.
With a bucket full of great riffs, and a lot of chugs, Celestial Wizard seized my interest quickly. The lead singer is perfect for the band, and the production is right on the money for their style of heavy. Most importantly though, I was hooked. While not every track is as memorable, their consistency is commendable. Sing-along choruses, solid riffs, snapping drums - you name it, they got it. If you’re looking for something to put on and immediately enjoy, look no further.
