Fozzy bared

Not since the return of Spinal Tap have the roots of early-’80s metal faced such a dramatic reassessment. Fozzy are back, after 20 years in exile, to set the record straight. And anyone who denies these guys — vocalist Moongoose McQueen, guitarists Duke LaRüe and the Kidd, bassist Shawn “Sports” Pop and drummer KK LaFlame — will get set straight as well; straight to hell, that is.
Because of a crooked contract that left them destitute, Fozzy — formed in Delaware in 1980 — have been stranded in Japan for the past two decades, where they were forced to take demeaning jobs: escalator hand-rail wiper, cheese sampler, Donaldo Makudonaldo (Ronald McDonald) pitchman. Meanwhile, Fozzy’s demos have circulated throughout the world, where they’ve been stolen and made famous by artists such as Dio, Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Krokus, Ozzy Osbourne, the Scorpions and Judas Priest, among others. Make no mistake, though, Fozzy invented the formula for ’80s metal: hot and harmonized lead licks, rock hard bass, stone cold drumming and vocals that leap from a low growl to soaring highs.
Now Fozzy have finally returned home with their self-titled debut, containing their best-known material, on Megaforce Records (home to early Metallica and Anthrax). Meanwhile, rumors have circulated that the legend of Fozzy is, in fact, a fraud; that the band actually features WWF wrestling star Chris Jericho fronting members of Atlanta metal band Stuck Mojo. But, rest assured, anyone who brings up such a salacious accusation will receive a smackdown the likes of which no WWF wrestler has ever seen.
Fozzy mean business, and they’re ready to pierce eardrums to gain their rightful place in metal history. After all, how can the band that wrote “The Prisoner,” “Eat the Rich,” “Over the Mountain” and “Riding on the Wind” not be considered among the greatest bands of all time? Fozzy have the muscle — musically and physically — and they plan to use both to set the record straight, or there will be hell to pay.