WICKED WISDOM – Wicked Wisdom

Even before this album came out, Wicked Wisdom (WW) was already stirring a lot of controversy and mixed emotions in the Metal world. You gotta admit that putting a band together that has the dubious honor of touring with Britney “Queen of Pop” Spears and with Ozzfest does raise a lot of questions. Those lucky enough to have witnessed WW on Ozzfest already know that they more than deserved their Ozzfest slot. That still leaves fans with the lot who think that anyone as privileged as Jada Pinkett Smith has no business in music. Granted there aren’t that many actors who have pulled off being a musician as well as being an actor, but then there’s the commitment part to consider. Not only is Mrs. Smith a successful actress, she’s also a devoted mother and wife. So taking the time to lead a band, and a Metal band at that, must mean she’s really serious about what she’s doing. In any case, it seems that many already have an opinion on Wicked Wisdom without even hearing a single song from them.

On their self-titled debut, Wicked Wisdom is only too happy to add fuel to the fire, and seem to be taunting the listener with a sort of “is that all you got” mentality. “Fakeness” kicks off the album with a serious “we mean business” vibe. This commanding, no bullshit, Henry Rollins kinda vibe continues throughout the whole album, which makes it custom made for weightlifting at the gym sessions. “Yesterday Don’t Mean …” packs an unforgettable chorus, and you can hear the band giving it their all, while the tempo of the song just keeps getting faster and faster. Most songs offered are like that — fast tempo songs that sound extremely physical. It’s almost like the band is musically creating their own mosh pit or a having a go against an imaginary punching bag. Even the slower songs like “Bleed All Over Me” and the semi-ballad “Forgiven” end up packing a punch.

The two main ingredients on this album seem to be Jada’s voice and Fisher’s groovy drumbeats, and not to forget that drilling guitar sound that seamlessly supports these two. Anyone familiar with the band Fishbone should be familiar with Fisher’s funky drum sound. Jada’s background as an actor is definitely working to her benefit as she effortlessly brings out tons of emotions with her voice. You get to hear anger, laconic indifference, kindness, boredom, desperation, and arrogance in the form of shouting, screaming, whispering, rapping, and melodic singing. The band mixes it all up so seamlessly that you may not even notice all of the trimmings. It’s like eating a gourmet version of fish and chips. What surprises the most is how ready and tight the band already sounds. You could almost swear they have countless road miles and hours spent in rehearsals behind them.

In hindsight, all of the controversy that surrounds this band suits their music and their message. Life is a struggle, but contrasting to what most might think, Wicked Wisdom has a way of turning life’s struggles into strengths and they choose to see it all as a unifying, rather than defeating, force. If you like your music with a sweaty groove and a twist of Nu-Metal, then you should definitely check out this Wicked Wisdom CD. This is strong-headed, relentless, yet ever-yielding female power put into the form of music. No matter how hard you try, you can’t knock it down. So the only question is: Can you handle it?