Are you an old grouch who think that metal is as dead as the dodo? Do you think that too many bands like Bring Me the Horizon and Parkway Drive are ruining the metal world? Do you wish you could go back to the good old days when Paul Di’Anno still fronted Maiden? Then if you answered yes to these three questions then Flying Tigers by L.A’s own NWOBHM heroes White Wizzard is the stellar new record for you. With fast chugging guitar lines, catchy classic metal sing along’s and bass lines that would put Steve Harris to shame, White Wizzard have made a statement to the metal world saying: “We are back, and we are better than ever!”

After releasing the astounding Over the Top in February of 2010, everyone believed it was impossible to top such a brilliant record, but they did, and the outcome if Flying Tigers. This time, concentrating on the music than the old school 80’s look, White Wizzard have created a revived and pimped version of the classic NWOBHM sound, making songs like ‘Fight to the Death’, ‘West L.A Nights’ and ‘Night Train to Tokyo’ seem like they have leapt straight out of Killers by Maiden or British Steel by Priest.

The musicianship on Flying Tigers is brilliant and you can see that having singer Wyatt Anderson back on board of the driving seat has enhanced and bettered White Wizzards sound. With Jon Leon spewing out insane riffage left right and centre, and the talented Giovanni Durst hitting the skins, you have a line-up of insane musicians, who you can clearly see put their heart, soul and love for metal into tracks such as ‘Starchild’, ‘Flying Tigers’ and ‘Nightstalker’. It makes listening to the album all the more enjoyable when you know the band loves playing the music to.

The second half on Flying Tigers is completely different to the first half. While from ‘Fight to the Death’ to ‘Nightstalker’ are classic sounding White Wizzard tracks, everything from ‘Fall of Atlantis’ onwards takes a more progressive metal outlook to the music. Sounding like Iced Earth on speed, we flash through a collection of catchy concept songs like ‘Blood of the Pyramids’, ‘War of the Worlds’ and ‘Starman’s Son’ which will have you screaming your head off to the powerful, but never the less beautiful works of musical art which are in this saga of songs.

In a world where auto tuning is the way forward, and where bands whose singers are covered with tattoo’s are the sell outs, Flying Tigers offers us hope that there are still musicians who love the music, and they are the shining light of the future of metal. White Wizzard is the future of metal! [9/10]