El Cuartel Del Metal,
Chile/Spain. (Author: José
Puelles-Puño) - Bloodlines album
review
The new wave of
British heavy metal was a
musical movement that laid the
foundations for the metal
subculture as we know it today.
A scene set to music by hundreds
of bands, but only a couple of
dozen managed to form a fan base
and be recognized; furthermore,
few were able to make it through
the eighties. One of its
precursors was Tygers of Pan
Tang, a group that returned with
the arrival of the 2000s but
with a single classical
component, guitarist Robb Weir.
For 2023, the lineup also
includes drummer Craig Ellis,
vocalist Jacopo "Jack" Meille,
and the most recent additions,
Francesco Marras (guitar) and
Huw Holding (bass). Since 2001,
the tiger has roared constantly
and this 2023 it stalks again
with Bloodlines.
The album begins with "Edge of
the World", which has a pleasant
introduction, both Arabic and
sinister, which emerges in metal
with a very good hook, both in
the verse and in the chorus.
Meille's voice is very old
school, and I like it, while the
guitars and rhythm section sound
great. "In My Blood" has a
melodic medium rhythm with good
guitar riffs, reminiscent of the
tiger of the late eighties. That
bridge before the chorus and the
Judas Priest-style guitar solo
is very classic metal, terrific.
With "Fire On the Horizon"
something similar happens, but
this time the band crushes with
speed and traditionalist power,
a candidate for best of the
album. «Light of Hope» is
another medium rhythm that
arrives with a double bass drum
and a shout from Meille, with a
tone and a drop that reminded me
of «Freight Train» by the band
Nitro, of course here the
sharpness of the voice is
Moderate compared to Jim
Gillette. His music walks on the
edge of classical and
alternative. "Back for Good" is
intended for live concerts by
its introduction. With a hard
rock air, Meille's vocal
versatility is what I liked the
most, because he raises and
lowers his tone when he wants
and when the song also allows
it.
"Taste of Love" is a power
ballad that tests the
sentimentality of the tiger and
the skill of the musicians, and
they do it well because it is
emotional and powerful, but
magnificent?, not at all. From
then on, "Kiss the Sky",
"Believe" and "A New Heartbeat"
fully preserve the pattern of
the album, a walk-through hard
rock, eighties metal and
nineties alternative metal, with
pleasant melodies, good guitar
riffs and an energetic rhythm
section by Ellis and Holding.
«Making All the Rules», on the
other hand, differs somewhat
from this concept that I
mentioned earlier, because it
starts off in a more relaxed way
and progresses gradually with
interesting guitar
interventions. I was surprised
that the band chose this to end
the album, but it was a positive
surprise.
Bloodlines blew me away, because
it has a classical vibe and a
willingness to stay traditional,
both in music and production.
There is an 80s and 90s
atmosphere behind each song
that, for a fan of traditional
heavy metal, is going to like
it. At no time does he leave the
typical canons, nor does he
adopt modern metal, but rather,
it is an evolution within his
own style. Perhaps many will be
annoyed by this conservation of
the established, because it is
not a total reinvention. But do
we want classic bands to play
modern metal? No, there are
dozens of modern bands for that,
right? I haven't listened to
Tygers of Pan Tang in years and
I admit that, except for their
classic albums, I never paid
attention (as I should) to their
career after their record return
in 2001, but Bloodlines is
totally worth it and motivates
me to listen what they have done
in recent years. Do you want
fidelity and commitment to
classic metal in the middle of
2023? Yes? Then Bloodlines is
the tremendous answer.
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