ALBUM REVIEW: Tyrannus – Unslayable

Scotland’s TYRANNUS unveil their debut album of Blackened Death Metal via True Cult Records on April 22nd.

A reverberate and gloomy introduction passages sets off our journey with a foreboding melancholy that doesn’t overstay its welcome but saturates the air with a heavy atmosphere. Grooving riffs kick us in atop building drums to open the metallic onslaught with a fiery rhythm, while bass lines move more fluidly in the background, subtly underlining the guitar with a certain disquiet. The lead work is melodious and soulful, adding more flare to the music, building step by step toward something gargantuan. In a moment we descend into a blackened tempest of visceral Extreme Metal with gnarled vocals cutting through a deathly blend of savage instrumentals. With a raw, rumbling production that hold everything together from the simpler doomy moments to the Voivod-like dissonant thrashing, there is a healthy dose of diversity in Tyrannus’ sound. In its own blend of chaotic fury, the flow between rhythmic battery and blistering solos is jarring, but in a way that feels intentional. More the senseless nightmarishness of a Lovecraftian tale than a directionless whimper into the abyss.

Packing a healthy mix of Black, Death and Thrash Metal into a sound that isn’t necessarily that old school can be tricky. Harkening back to the late 80s – early 90s is one thing, but utilising the more modern sounds across the board can render an album characterless in the digital age. Thankfully Tyrannus seem to take a healthy dose of the old school but also newer bands like Sulphur Aeon spring to mind (sonically as well as thematically / aesthetically), whose unique progressive touches feel refreshing while still borrowing from the grand works of Gorguts and the like. This sort of old-meets-new mix works gloriously to Tyrannus’ strength as their sparse sounds retain the scathing fury that should be at the heart of all extreme music. Indeed they do not over-polish, nor self-indulge the music into ruin, this feels like a focal attack to the jugular.

From one song to the next, we see a strong linear development shrouded in mystery. There is no reliance on repetition, as clearly ideas are boundless on this debut effort (hopefully something they can adhere to for a long time). Jumping from blackened atmospherics to thrashing hooks to almost trad-Metal gallops seamlessly, it is obvious that this foursome have endeavoured to include all their best ideas while cutting the fat and largely succeed with triumph. Like any debut album, it is rough around the edges and has room for refinement (which is no bad thing), but ultimately this is a monstrous first step in a hopefully prosperous artistic career of Extreme Metal.

This is one of those records that has a bit of everything yet does not feel like a mess of discardable ideas. More akin to a belligerent and urgent expression of darkness through Extreme Metals’ many excellent mediums. Revel in the abyssal incantations of Tyrannus.