ALBUM REVIEW: Tyrann – Tyrann Forever

Swedish heavy metal bruisers Tyrann are back with their third album of hard-rocking blows to the jaw. Set for release on the 27th of May via Dying Victims Productions (CD) and Electric Assault Records (LP).

Opening the record with the first single they released, “Born for Hell” is a straightforward rocking anthem with plenty of groove and bass hooks alongside snappy drums and the recognisable wailing vocals. So exactly what you’d Tyrann to lead a new record with. Everything in the mix is crisp and sharp which allows the leads and vocals to jump out while keeping a strong rhythmic backbone present with some killer drum fills to spice things up. The presence of synths is something the band have used sparingly from album one and it really adds to the 80s fun-filled nature of their music while keeping it subtle and sinister rather than some garish trope. The slightly more gothic moods are no huge surprise considering their ties to Tribulation but are a welcome shift in emotion which they pull off gloriously. Similarly the mixing of Swedish and English is extremely effective and something I have always adored on a Tyrann record. The guitar solos definitely feel at their strongest ever, Joseph and Adam being a superb twin axe attack to meet Tobias and Jakob’s rhythmic battery and the former’s vocal prowess. Tyrann are a band which I hold very dear, and the opening moments of “Tyrann Forever” make me feel just that, this is a band I want to stick around.

While inarguably full of those fist-pounding moments, I really enjoy the melancholy tinges which throw me back to the likes of “Ingen tid för oss” which is one of my favourite tracks off the former album. Similarly there’s the creeping blackened aura of bands like Mayhem, Tormentor and so on which adds even more evil to the devil’s music. It feels like this is the band’s attempt to push the boat out further and the estranged vocal effects that remind me of Swedish weirdos Reveal! certainly is a cool touch. Realistically in the more primitive vein, the band had said and done what they could so trying new things while keeping the rå energi works in their favour to ensure the third LP is not a stagnation but a valuable new cut of cult metallic passion. I think it’s fair to say Tyrann has always had this classic heavy metal approach but with elements borrowed from black metal, punk, even pop and various other corners of music while keeping their approach simplistic and effective. As such, real rockers will surely be possessed by this new opus.

From the addition of more eerie elements and darker passages to the chorus-y gothic guitar leads and that backbone of pure pounding evil metal fury; Tyrann remains a force to be reckoned with. Their third album keeps things short and to-the-point while packing in endless energy, passion, memorability and enjoyment. Tracks like “Kom Armageddon” even reminds me of bands like Thorns with its dissonant yet powerful attack, certainly taking the sound into its most intensely extreme and raw vista yet. With that said, it still feels like a Tyrann record at its heart and keeps that primal rocking rebellion ever-present. If “Djävulens Musik” was the explosive beginning and “Besatt” the push forward in refinement; “Tyrann Forever” is the “we can do as we please, jump on the wagon or be crushed under the cartwheels” LP. This blends everything about this band that I value with some cool new elements and gives us a totally new experience that still feels like a Tyrann record. So what’s not to like? Okay it can be a little less coherent than the others here and there but these little turbulent patches also give it character and add to its charms as well. I think with time and repeated listens it will be hard to imagine it any other way. Back to my thoughts without having spent months with the album; it’s a really wicked new effort and I think it rips. It has that wildness that I always seek in heavy metal and plays by its own rules which I respect. Most importantly though; the songs kick ass.

Stagnation is for the weak and weary. Tyrann return holding the banner of hårdrock as high as ever. Sweden remains a country leading the charge of what metal is, was, can be, could be and should be. This is one of those reviews where I don’t want to ramble on at you, but suggest picking up the record at your earliest convenience, sticking it on the turntable and feeling the heavy metal passion take control and possess you!

Check out my Tyrann interview, click here!