Tygers Of Pan Tang is of course
inextricably linked to the New
Wave Of British Heavy Metal.
Maybe not the best band of that
time, certainly not the band
that would go the furthest, but
one of the most tenacious and
extremely authentic. The first
three albums Wild Cat,
Spellbound and Crazy Nights can
be regarded as true time
documents. After that, as with
many contemporaries with no
tangible success, there was a
little flirting with other
musical angles, and the career
came to a halt. A stable line-up
also turned out to be a utopia.
Although the band was on its ass
in the 90s, new albums have been
released 'just' since 2001, and
since 2012 (Ambush) even nicest
albums, in which only guitarist
Robb Weir is part of the Tygers
as an original band member. The
Italian singer Jacopo Meille has
proven to be a golden move since
Animal Instinct (2008), on the
new album Bloodlines he is
joined by a compatriot on guitar
to provide the Tygers with new
impetus.
On the first three tracks Edge
Of The World, In My Blood (very
classic with talk box, just like
Believe by the way) and Fire On
The Horizon (Judas Priest,
anyone?) the band sounds
surprising in my opinion. fresh
and driven. Exciting rhythms,
strong vocals, catchy hooks and
flashing guitar solos like icing
on the cake; that is what you
want to hear as a true old
school metal fan. A song like
Back For Good (what a promising
title) shows that the musicians
are also convincing at a slower
pace, powerful and compelling.
Personally I think it's a
downside that Bloodlines shows
no less than two ballads with
Taste Of Love and closing track
Making All The Rules, I think
that's really too much of a good
thing, and in my opinion
detracts from the swinging vibe
that characterizes the other
songs . Anyway, I don't like
closing with a ballad, a nice
rocking album should have a
solid bouncer. Fortunately, the
spicy A New Heartbeat makes up
for that - if only it had done
it last.
Without directly claiming that
newcomer Francesco Marras claims
a leading role, I dare to say
that with his strong guitar
playing he is at least partly
responsible for the current
fresh sound of Tygers Of Pan
Tang. This way the band can last
for a while!
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