Introducing Tygers Of Pan Tang
may no longer be necessary. The
band has been around since 1978
with many ups and downs and
personnel changes. The three
most recent releases were also
discussed at Heavy Metal, each
with a very positive review:
Majors & Minors, A New Heartbeat
and Bloodlines. With an
unchanged line-up, the
originally NWOBHM band now comes
up with a career-spanning live
album that contains no fewer
than nineteen songs, good for
almost an hour and a half. Still
on the double LP; CD enthusiasts
make do with three fewer songs.
Career-spanning: that means
songs from the early days to the
present. Opener Euthanasia, for
example, can be found on debut
album Wild Cat. Their groovy
cover Love Potion #9 (originally
from 1959) comes from The Cage
in 1982. The flaming Gangland
(the singer's top performance
there) has also not been
forgotten. But of course, you
also get recent songs such as
Edge Of The World, Back For Good
and A New Heartbeat.
How does the band perform live?
To summarize in one word: well
done!
The band sounds as tight,
authentic, enthusiastic and
energetic as can be, the riffs
(check Only The Brave and
Insanity) and solos fly around
your ears, but at the same time
the melodic remains perfectly
intact (just listen to Love
Don't Stay for example). The
interaction with the audience is
also clearly present. Jack
Meille's vocals sound as pure as
anything and are quite prominent
at the front of the mix. Even on
more complicated passages, such
as the middle section of The
Edge Of The World, everyone does
their job brilliantly. Classy,
although of course you don't
know to what extent the
recordings have been polished in
the studio. Not much fun there,
you shouldn't go to the Tygers
for a fireworks show or dazzling
effects. “Let the music do the
talking,” Paul Stanley of Kiss
used to say, and the band
members here certainly take that
to heart.
It is admirable how the Tygers
Of Pan Tang seem to get better
with age. For some reason they
never achieved great success.
Albums like this Live Blood
cannot be the fault, there is
absolutely nothing wrong with
this. Even the artwork – just
like on Bloodlines – has more
than enough. And with 45 years
under their belt as a band: hats
off. With some perspective: only
guitarist Robb Weir is still an
original member.
As a fan of solid yet melodic
hard rock/metal, do yourself a
favour, purchase Live Blood and
give it a place in your annual
lists.
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