''Chasing the Grail'' is the fourth studio album from the
heavy metal band
Fozzy
Fozzy is an American heavy metal band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999 by lead singer Chris Jericho/Irvine, lead guitarist Rich Ward and drummer Frank Fontsere, who are the longest-serving members of the band and have appeared on all ban ...
, released on January 26, 2010. It is their first album since the release of ''
All That Remains'' five years prior, and is their first and only album as a four-piece.
Background
In March 2009, the band announced that
Riot Entertainment
Riot! Entertainment is an independent record label, music distribution service and tour promoter based in Wollongong, Australia. According to their website, Riot is Australia's biggest heavy metal music distribution company. The company serves ...
had signed the group to a worldwide deal for the release of a new album.
According to guitarist Rich Ward, Riot is the only label worthy of releasing the album. According to lead vocalist Chris Jericho, "For the first time, Fozzy has a ballad on the album and a 14-minute prog rock-inspired tune called 'Wormwood'". According to Jericho, the song 'Broken Soul' is a "'70s-type Southern rock-type ballady-type tune". In June 2009, the band was finishing the last details of the album.
Release and reception
The album was released through Riot! on January 26. The album did not chart on the ''Billboard'' 200, it did however, chart on the Heatseekers Album charts, reaching # 6 at its peak. The album sold a little over 2000 copies in its first week.
Singles
Martyr No More
On September 8, 2009, the band released the first material from the album, "Martyr No More", along with the album art and a release date of January 26, 2010.
"Martyr No More" was used as one of the official theme songs for the
2010 WWE Royal Rumble pay per view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
.
Let the Madness Begin
On October 16, 2009, the band released the second single from the album, entitled "Let the Madness Begin".
Rich Ward on "Let the Madness Begin"
"
hat particular track
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...
is all about the balance between a really good, classic melody and a great, classic rock riff. That was our focus for the whole record, but I think 'Let the Madness Begin' is probably the one song on the album where I think that balance is best.
"Sometimes when you're trying to write a heavy album, you find that sometimes you'll end up compromising the melody for the riff because obviously, the riff is so important for the drum part. On some rock albums, the vocals become the focus, and then the music takes a backseat. We tried to find that fine line where the music was important and the melody was important. We treated them as equals, and I think 'Let the Madness Begin' was that perfect balance between hard rock melodic vocals and a big metal riff."
On July 22, Fozzy released the music video for their second single, "Let the Madness Begin", which was a compilation of the band performing the song from multiple concerts in the U.S. and U.K. in the early portion on 2010.
Broken Soul
In March 2010, Fozzy released their third single, "Broken Soul".
Track listing
Charts
Personnel
Musicians
*
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...
–
lead vocals
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of th ...
*
Rich Ward
Richard Park Ward (born January 16, 1969), also known by his stage name The Duke, is an American guitarist best known as a founding member of Stuck Mojo and as lead guitarist of heavy metal band Fozzy.
Early life
Ward grew up listening to m ...
–
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
* Sean Delson –
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gu ...
*
Frank Fontsere –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
Additional Musicians
* Eric Frampton –
Piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...
,
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs ...
&
keyboards
* Renny Carroll (Forever Never) Harmony backing vocals
*
Jeff Waters
Jeff Waters (born February 13, 1966) is a Canadian guitarist and the founder and bandleader of the metal band Annihilator. He was born and resides in Ottawa, Ontario. Waters has owned Watersound Studios Inc. since 1994 (where it was in Maple ...
– Guitar solos on "Martyr No More" and "God Pounds His Nails"
*
Mike Martin – Producer, all guitars and backing vocals on "Wormwood"
* Lord Nelson – Revelator on "Wormwood"
* Rosemary Serpa, John Martin, Mike Martin, Sarah Martin, Tiffany Martin, Sophia Martin, Danny Messier and Katie Messier @ St. Michael's Episcopal
Charleston, SC
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, South Carolina, Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston metropolitan area, South Carolina, Charleston–North Charle ...
– Choir vocals on "Wormwood"
References
External links
Fozzy Official websiteRiot Entertainment official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chasing The Grail
2010 albums
Fozzy albums