Tyrants Reign: Same

Review

Whew, here we go, whiplash warning on this one:

Out of the blue in 2004 came a new cd from the mighty US metal underground legends TYRANTS REIGN. What we have here is a crystal clear sounding remaster of 9 previously unreleased recordings from 3 different recording sessions spanning June 1988 to November 1989. 2 of the tracks on this cd were previously heard in the Reborn Classics bootleg but they had this really nasty noise/tape hiss on them so here we finally get them from the masters. Also 2 of the tracks appear in original versions on the "Year of the Tyrant" Mini-LP. But really we have never heard anything quite like this from T.R.

Speed/Power metal is really the only way to describe/categorize these songs. I honestly can only think of a few cds that have the kind of impact on me that this one has. Professional metal with such high speed velocity can only be labeled "classic". This is it. You are listening to the best.

Air raid siren/tearing screams is the best way to describe the vocal department. Ripping and slashing and neck thrashing dual axe attack, rushing metal mayhem to get the blood pumping and to rattle the windows. Mixed in with this is an occasional melodic track that suprises you with its intensity and memorability and the typical galloping rhythms that old metal heads like myself live to hear.

I'm not going to single out any specific track because honestly start to finish again we have all killer. "Thrashing Metal Maniacs" set the pace and it continued unrelentlessly to the final second. Parting is such sweet sorrow unless you stick the player on "repeat".

I have no desire to compare this band with any other but needless to say it easily stands alongside some of the best speed metal ever to come out of the states in this century.

Top of the heap metal and I defy anyone to have any negative words about this band. Please find me some more "unknown" tapes like these out there, because I would just love to release them on my label.

you can find this cd available from www.tyrantsreign.com or Sentinel Steel or ebay or Hellion Records, so I recommend you go out and buy this right now if you have not already done so.

Next to the new Brocas Helm, definately the release of the year and then some.

Tracks
1. Thrashing Metal Maniacs
2. Star Chamber
3. S.O.S.
4. Kill or be Killed
5. The Amulet
6. Passage to Eternity
7. Forever and a Day
8. Tyrant's Reign
9. Jack The Ripper
10. Unconditional Surrender
11. Insanity