Whiplash - 'Ritual' Review by Ricardo Seelig


The New Wave of British Heavy Metal changed the direction of heavy music in the late 1970s and during the 1980s by accentuating the teachings of Judas Priest and further removing metal from its blues roots, adding buckets of melody and harmonies of guitar in the recipe. Their main names are idolised to this day, be they bands with global reach like Iron Maiden, absolute references within the universe of metal like Saxon, cult names that returned with great records like Satan and so on. Tygers of Pan Tang falls into that latter group.

Tygers of Pan Tang: deans of heavy metal release new album Ritual

"Ritual" is the twelfth album by the English band, formed in 1978. The album was released in Brazil on Hellion Records and features veteran British metalheads showing that they still have a lot to say. With 11 songs and 52 minutes, "Ritual" is a delight both for those who love the sound of NWOBHM and for those who enjoy that classic heavy metal that also knows how to sound contemporary.

Led by guitarist Robb Weir, a remnant of the original line-up and the only musician on all of the band's records, the quintet formed by vocalist Jacopo "Jack" Meille (in the band since 2004), guitarist Michael "Micky" Cristal (with the group since 2013), by bassist Gavin Gray (joined in 1999, left, and back since 2011) and drummer Craig Ellis (drummer since 2000) shows plenty of inspiration. The ideas sound round and all in place, presenting the listener with excellent tracks like "Destiny" (with a little foot in AOR, as well as "White Lines") and the very heavy "Rescue Me", as well as visits to the past in "Raise Some Hell "and" Worlds Apart ", which opens the album. Closing with the long and powerful "Sail On" is the icing on the cake of an amazing record that shows that Tygers of Pan Tang is going through one of its best phases.

If you like metal, give your ears a gift and put "Ritual" in your collection.


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