In 1989 four lads from Bocholt in central Germany didn't know that heavy metal had been declared dead. They were in their practise room and were busy polishing their latest songs. Even back then, 8 years before Hammerfall appeared on the scene, and up to the present day, Sven D'Anna (vocals), Sören van Heek (drums), Michael Maass (guitar) and V. Leson (bass) alias WIZARD musical fashions and trends have been like water off a duck's back for them. The only thing that counts for them is the absolute will to write one good metal album after another and to keep the flame burning for the best kind of music in the world.

Their demo "Legion Of Doom" (1991) and their first two self-produced albums, "Son Of Darkness" (1995) and "Battle Of Metal" (1997) helped WIZARD to an excellent reputation in the European underground scene. Another aspect was their great shows with masses of leather, chains, studs and pyros, as well as the charismatic character of singer Sven D'Anna, who is blessed with a unique voice within the German metal community. So it was no wonder that their album, "Bound By Metal" (1999) released by B.O.-Records was impatiently awaited by their huge die-hard fans and welcomed when it arrived in the shops.

In 2000 WIZARD signed a long-term record deal with Limb Music Products (LMP) and attained world-wide success with their two best-to-date albums, "Head Of The Deceiver" (2001) and "Odin" (2003). The latter was even licenced for sale in Japan! Numerous one-off shows and gigs in Wacken, at the "Bang Your Head"-Festival, an extensive European tour with Grave Digger and Symphorce, as well as the formation of Fanclubs all around the world (even in South Africa) mark the great turning point in the career of "Germany's answer to Manowar", as the Bocholters are being called. They had finally made the leap from being a popular underground band to one of the most talked about metal acts in Germany.

Nothing can change the fact that guitarist Michael Maass has taken a three year break for private and professional reasons, and his place on the six-string has been taken by Volker's old schoolmate, Dano Boland. But that changes nothing at all. Because now WIZARD is ready to go and singer Sven D'Anna is in the best form of his life! The band themselves took care of the recording and production of "Magic Circle" but handed the mixing work over to the hands of Christian Jungebluth. The result is the living proof that Germany still has some of the highest quality, traditional steel in the world for export.

Source: http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/biographie-groupe-Wizard-id_bio-2199-l-en.html