White Wizzard was formed in Los Angeles in the summer of 2007, as Jon Leon's response to the "angsty" and "screamo" metal that dominated the heavy metal scene at the time:
"I saw so many old school metalheads at these summer festivals, but what else is out there? Who else can they look forward to seeing after they leave the show that can really give them the same thrill? They're all still here, but there's nothing in today's scene that moves them anymore - nothing that inspires them. I think we can change that."
In late 2007, White Wizzard recorded their self-titled EP, which would be released in mid-2008. They also filmed a music video for the EP's opening track "High Speed GTO", which won the award for Best Music Video in the 2008 Action On Film Festival. Although the band was doing relatively well, artistic tensions within the group led to Leon firing all members of the band, who went on to form a similarly styled band, Holy Grail.