FOZZY has always been about two things: a heavy groove and a good time. When you have such high-energy performers like Rich Ward and Chris Jericho – it’s debatable on who jumps higher onstage- forming a band to put the fun back in rock and roll was easy; but these guys aren’t just entertainers. Ward is one of the most versatile and underrated riffers in rock and metal today, who has created his own style of heavy riffs, melodic choruses and the Duke groove…oh that crushing groove! And Jericho’s singing ability and overall passion for music makes one wonder just how he is able to find the time to excel in pretty much everything he does. It was these qualities that pushed the band to become one of the hottest up and coming rock acts of the past five years.
After the release of 4 studio albums, each more successful and critically acclaimed than the last, it wasn’t until 2012’s “Sin & Bones” that the band started to hit their stride. Jericho was winding down his involvement with the WWE, the band was touring more and their live show reputation was stronger than ever. The entertainment, the fun factor, the showmanship were all there in full force. And after touring with Metallica, Shinedown, Avenged Sevenfold and Saxon, the band saw their fanbase grow and diversify.
„I’d be on stage looking out in the crowd and see such an interesting mix of fans out there,“ comments Jericho, „young kids, teenage girls, older long haired guys, the denim and leather wearing dudes, Stuck Mojo fans, people that knew me from my WWE career, strippers, but the one thing they all had in common; was they were having fun. They were dancing, grooving, singing and chanting along with smiles on their faces. To me, that’s what FOZZY has always been about and I think with this new record, we really captured that vibe.“
FOZZY’s newest record “Do You Wanna Start A War”, was released in the summer of 2014 and was produced by Ward. It features 12 tracks, including the singles, “Lights Go Out”, the title track and the ABBA (yes ABBA) cover, “SOS”. “Lights Go Out” received a massive response at radio and was the highest charting single of FOZZY’s career, was the theme song for that year’s WWE SummerSlam PPV and is now heard in sports arenas across the country. “Do You Wanna Start A War”’s video started with a dancing Playboy Playmate and ended with the band partying on a roof top (and is well on its way to accruing the 1.2 million YouTube views of the previous video „Sandpaper“). If you don’t think those tracks brought the fun back to rock in roll, you need to check your pulse…or just blare “SOS” as loud as you can.
The band has been touring nonstop in support of the album. They started off doing the 2014 Rock on the Range, Carolina Rebellion and Rockfest; part of the World’s Loudest Month festivals. Then they supported Buckcherry, hosted a sold out record release party at Hollywood’s world famous Whisky A-Go-Go, toured the US with Theory of A Deadman, did a successful headliner run both in North America and Europe and show no sign of slowing down. Since “Do You Wanna Start A War”’s release, hundreds of thousands of FOZZY fanatics have seen the band live, sang and danced to the new tracks off the album and chanted „Fozzy“ until their proverbial heads exploded. Those same fans witnessed one of the greatest live performances they’ve ever seen, saw one of the best frontman in any genre of music sing some of the catchiest songs heard in ages and had the best time in their lives doing it.
And that’s what FOZZY is all about.