If we exclude some posthumous releases and a couple of transitional releases, this is Tygers Of Pan Tang's first real live album and it photographs the Newcastle band in a moment of absolute form with, in my opinion, the most solid line up of its history.

By solid I'm not just talking about talent, but about effectiveness and general performance. And the sixteen tracks of this album are proof of this. Energy, validity of the repertoire with a setlist that bounces between past and present, without ever the slightest drop. And if Robb Weir, the host, is the usual impeccable riff machine, it is impossible not to be struck by how the new ones are an integral part of the roar of the tigers: from the talented guitarist Francesco Marras, to the bassist Huw Holding, perfectly integrated into the rhythmic patterns of the drummer Craig Ellis, creating a truly unstoppable engine. Then there is Jacopo Meille, loose and friendly on stage, who given the friendship that binds us, it is almost embarrassing for me to describe the value, the stability and the beauty of the interpretations. And in fact the greatest quality is having made him classics of the group, which we would never have imagined not entrusted to the owners Jess Cox and Jon Deverill. But the thing is so objective that it is indisputable and it is enough to listen not only to a gigantic "Euthanasia", but also to "Love Don't Stay", which I consider the real surprise of the album, a beautiful piece that comes from "Crazy Night", to confirm my words.

Those who have attended the band's recent Italian concerts guarantee that there are no tricks or deceptions, what we hear on this album is exactly what the band offers on stage: a piece of heavy metal history. But Tygers Of Pan Tang (Read the review of the latest studio album “Bloodlines”, ed.), have taken a step further, continuing to fuel this story with beautiful records, as demonstrated by “Keeping Me Alive”, “Only the Brave”, “Destiny”, “Edge Of The World” and “Back For Good” (but the list is much larger), which sit perfectly alongside “Gangland”, “Paris By Air”, “Do It Good”, “Suzie Smiled” and “Hellbound”, not to mention the metal pop gem “Love Potion No.9” final encore of a setlist that confirms the strength of their repertoire.

Continuing to mention Tygers Of Pan Tang only as a legend of the NWOBHM is truly limiting, we are talking about a band with 45 years of history, which in the last twenty, while respecting the weight of its history, has always tried to move forward, with an ever-increasing writing quality.

And this "Live Blood" is just the umpteenth demonstration of what I have been saying for some time: the Pan Tang tigers are, with Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Saxon, in the small group of the best and most important English classic metal bands of all time!!



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