Band:	WIZ
Album:	Shattered-Mind-Therapy
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	March 13, 2004
A review by:	Malcolm

01. Mr. Sandman
02. In Your Eyes
03. Super Psychic Woman
04. One Chapter Of A Fairytale
05. Sun Moon Stars
06. Down
07. Understand
08. Return Of Atlantis
09. Empty Words
10. From The Ashes We Rise

WIZ, a five-piece band with two members from Swedish power metallers Nostradameus, and naturally I had just Nostradameus in thought when I received this album.
But, as I pressed play and the first track, Mr. Sandman (No, it's not the Beach Boy song) started I immediately understood that it's not like Nostra.

WIZ was formed back in 1996 by Johan Weicht (main songwriter and Bassist) together with Magnus Hansson (Guitars).
Johan's old band members was asked to join and Stefan Lindquist (Drums) was a member of WIZ.
Jake Fredén was asked to join since he and Magnus was classmates, and he so did.
And then Freddy Persson (Vocals) got a query from WIZ (after tip from Johan's brother) and accepts and WIZ was now ready to rock.
But as suddenly as it started, Magnus decided to leave the ship.
At the same time, Jake and Freddy got a record deal with their Nostradameus (AFM Records).
But the first demo was recorded and Stefan did the last changes and soon after, he quitted WIZ. All these happen 1999, and it would be long before WIZ regrouped.
Now the band got in contact with a new guitarist, Martin Karlsson, old friend of Johan joined the band.
Spring 2000, WIZ stood in front of a crossing, with only two roads to choose, split-up or hold until all settle down, the second was chose.
Late summer 2001, the time is right, and WIZ is starting to breath again.
Jake and Freddy comes back from Nostra, Stefan choose to rejoin WIZ and a new demo (rerecorded their best songs) is recorded and Arise gives them a contract proposal, which they accept.

So here I hold the debut in my hand, and my presentiment told me it would sound like Nostradameus, or at least something very like.
But I was wrong. Of course with Freddy on Vocals it's impossible not to hear the quite unique Nostra-like vocals, but the music (and lyrics) is another story.
In Nostra it's Jake and Freddy that writes all material, but in WIZ, it's Johan Weicht that's the main composer (together with Jake on some songs), so it's very different.
The song "Sun Moon Stars" Freddy almost sings like Koti (Timo Kotipelto ex- Stratovarius) in the beginning, not very like Nostra, but I like it. Good song to, by the way.
The lyrics almost got a kind of Gothic feeling, it's sad words that's written, this is some lines from the starter, "Mr. Sandman":

"I hate those precious dreams.
I hate when you say you love me.
Mornings of hopelessness,
big black storms spin round and round."

I know many power bands use this kind of lyrics (such as Sonata Arctica) but the music is far from Sonata, it's maybe not very original, but it's good, and it fits the music.
The only thing I have to "complain" on is Stefan's misuse of the cymbals, it's annoying sometimes, such in song no.4 "One Chapter of a Fairytale".
But it's just a small thing I took up just because I needed something negative to say.

But overall it's a good album and debut, it's not legendary or a masterpiece, but it's an album that's worth a place in you CD-collection.
It's not the ordinary Power; it's more personal more the way the music should be written today.
And I hope for an even better second album, because the guys got what it takes.

I have to give a little extra credit to the female that's singing on two tracks, Heidi Lilja, because she does a great work on those two songs.

Favourite songs: "Mr. Sandman", "In Your Eyes", "Sun Moon Stars", "Down" & "Empty Words".