Labels: self released
Review by: Alex Deller
Rebel Wizard is a dumb name. It’s the kind of name you’d see writ large on the t-shirt of that loud, annoying drunk guy who’s loud, annoying and drunk at every metal gig you ever go to. The one who’s pushing to the front with two plastic pint glasses in his hands mid-way through any given set, behaving like an ass and then pushing his way back to the bar three songs later. And he’s wearing the same t-shirt every time you see him – the Rebel Wizard one with crusty pits, cigarette burn pockmarks and what may be a bit of kebab-based sick that’s been hurriedly wiped from mouth to shoulder. This – admittedly hugely subjective – connotation is a bit of a shame for Rebel Wizard, whose music is admittedly a bit of a gas. Theirs is a rampaging blend of styles that dashes together Immortal, Iron Maiden and Kreator to orgiastic effect; the music scything along in a manner that’s both brutal and bombastic while the vocals sound like strips of dirty cloth being hurriedly torn into crude, battlefield bandages. If you like the idea of Skeltonwitch blended with a cheeky dab of Zud’s rock n’ roll ebullience then you’re certainly in luck … just don’t be that jerk I described at the beginning of this review, please.