Tygers of Pan Tang's 'Bloodlines' - Album Review

Whilst many of the bands which made up the NWOBHM movement back in the early 1980s have started releasing albums again recently, one band who reunited early and therefore had a bit of a head start on their peers is Tygers of Pan Tang. It is hard to say how important Tygers of Pan Tang were to the NWOBHM sound, but outside of the handful of bands that made it genuinely big they were key players in the core scene - known for their bold album covers and a more melodic take on the razor-sharp sound of the genre as a whole. The band's first four albums, despite a shifting line-up, are rightly considered as classics of the NWOBHM movement - and they are records which I return to fairly regularly. A couple of more AOR-influenced albums with make-shift line-ups then saw the band's original run come to an end in 1987 - and it would be 12 years before the world heard from them again. NWOBHM nostalgia is currently a big deal, with plenty of newer bands playing music which harks back to that sound and the aforementioned relatively recent reunions of classic NWOBHM bands - but Tygers of Pan Tang have been slogging away at a second wind since 1999, when founding guitarist Robb Weir reactivated the band. As of earlier this month, this reunion has now led to seven studio albums - the best of which have come in more recent years. For me, anyway, the current era of Tygers of Pan Tang really got underway in 2004, which is when the band's current frontman Jacopo Meille came on board. Weir, Meille, and long-time drummer Craig Ellis have formed the basis of the band since 2004, with a number of guitarists and bassists coming and going over that 19 year period. Despite this, though, the band's recent albums have all been excellent. In my opinion, 2012's Ambush is the best thing that they have done since their 1980s heyday - whilst 2016's self-titled album (which I reviewed here) and 2019's Ritual (which I also reviewed here) are also strong releases. Meille has the perfect voice to bring the band's melodic sound to life, whilst Weir seems to never be short on new riffs - and has worked with a number of other guitarists which have all made their marks, too. As mentioned, as of earlier this month the band have now released seven studio albums since reforming - as their thirteenth album overall Bloodlines was released at the start of May. It is the band's first since Ritual, and also the first since a bit of a line-up overhaul. Tygers of Pan Tang are no strangers to line-up changes, but it did seem that things had settled down on that front for a while. Stability was not to be, though, and Bloodlines sees both guitarist Francesco Marras (Screaming Shadows) and bassist Huw Holding (Cardinal Synne; Blitzkrieg; Holosade) making their studio debuts with the band. Marras in particular makes his presence felt here, co-writing a number of the album's songs - with the Italian guitarist also trading plenty of leads back and forth with Weir. This latest line-up shift has not really altered the band's sound, which is pretty much established at this point. Anyone who has enjoyed any of the band's other recent albums will know what to expect here - but the album feels a little more svelte and concise with a shorter run-time, which in my opinion is no bad thing.

A swirling sound fills the speakers as the album's first track, Edge of the World, gets underway. The effects-heavy guitar chords help to create some atmosphere as the album kicks off - but this vibe is relatively short-lived, as a mid-paced dual-guitar riff soon crashes in. The guitar harmonies here are classic Tygers of Pan Tang, but there is a bit more weight behind them than is perhaps usual - whilst the verse which soon takes over sees the pace upped, adding a sense of urgency. The verses steam along, then, with Ellis throwing in some occasional bursts of double bass drumming, with Weir and Marras teaming up for the song's choppy riffing - which harks right back to the early 1980s. Meille has served the band well since joining, and his vocal performance throughout this album is as good as ever. The melodic edge to his voice adds a sheen to the riffy verses - whilst the chorus, which is a little more spacious and atmospheric in approach, feels big thanks to his repetitive melodies. The atmosphere from the intro is briefly revisited for an acoustic-led bridge-section later - before the first of many guitar solo sections sees Weir lay down some shredded lines before Marras takes over for a more melodic approach. The speed and hooks throughout help the song to stand out, and the album gets off to a strong start thanks to this approach. In My Blood also opens with a guitar swell, but this one feels weightier - with the song itself being more of a crunchy, mid-paced rocker. There is little of the urgency which characterised the previous song, with Weir and Marras' chugging guitar rhythms keeping everything moving - whilst Holding's bass underpins everything. The verses are simple, then, with Meille standing out against this relatively simple backing - although a pre-chorus section sees the introduction of some screaming guitar leads to effectively harmonise with the vocals. Building on this, the chorus is more of an explosion of melody. There are a number of hooky moments here, but this chorus stood out to me from the off thanks to Meille's strong vocal hooks and the subtle use of talk box to add depth. The snappy chorus hooks certainly sound like something which could have appeared on one of the band's early albums - and a slight snarl adds an edge to Meille's chorus delivery. This reliance on big hooks and crunching riffs means that the song is easy to latch onto and, as such, it is likely to go down well live should be band choose to play it. Fire on the Horizon ups the pace, and goes for speed over anything else. The main riff is busy, with a modern edge rhythmically but still with a foot in the 1980s, whilst Ellis really lays into his drumkit throughout - with plenty more double bass drum rolls. The energy never really lets up, and this gives the album a bit of a shot of adrenaline after the more mid-paced previous number. There is much less crunch this time, though, with each guitar riff being pretty knotty - but this helps to keep the faster song interesting. The chorus is less hooky, but the repeated melodies suit the song's more urgent atmosphere - whilst Marras tackles the solo alone this time, again going for a speedy approach with plenty of shredded melodies. The song is certainly one of the most overtly metal pieces here, and the mix of pace and busy guitar riffing will please those who enjoy speed.

Light of Hope slows the pace down again somewhat, but the opening still goes for quite a full-on sound with more double bass drum patterns and a big scream from Meille. It feels as if the song is about to explode from this into something thrashy, but the track itself is actually quite hypnotic. There are strong grooves throughout, which are not something that I generally associate with Tygers of Pan Tang, but this slightly more modern approach works. The riffing is quite stop-start, with some underlying subtle guitar melodies, whilst the rhythm section of Holding and Ellis create the grooves and allow that hypnotic sound to flourish. This overall approach is something a bit different for the band, but it works well in my opinion - and Meille's strident vocal approach helps to hold everything together. The chorus shines thanks to his big delivery, as well as some subtle vocal harmonies, whilst the solo section sees both Weir and Marras slowing things down somewhat and take a more bluesy route. Back for Good opens with a punchy drum groove and Holding's growling bass ringing out - which the two guitarist soon lay some bluesy leads atop and Meille adds some Robert Plant-esque howls. This allows the song to grow nicely, and when the main riff kicks in after a short while the build up feels as if it has been nicely satisfied. This main riff does sound a bit close to Rainbow's All Night Long at times, which is a bit of a distraction, but the rest of the song is different enough to limit the comparison. Outside of this riffing, parts of the song actually have a bit of a late 1980s hair metal feel. There is more of a focus here on backing vocals than usual, and the song's pre-chorus feels like something which could have come from an American chart-topper in around 1988 - whilst the chorus also retains this slightly sleazy feel, whilst also injecting something of a British blues base. The song is a bit of a strange mix of sounds as a result, but it does just about hang together despite the disparate influences. It probably helps that the hooks throughout are strong, which certainly make up for any strange cultural clashes. Taste of Love then slows things down quite considerably, and acts as the album's ballad. Keyboards are added throughout by Federico Pacini, and his piano drives the song early on - over which bluesy guitar leads are soon layered. Meille sings over this piano alone for a brief while early on, but the rest of the band soon join in - and the song builds towards its chorus. Clean guitar melodies and a slow drumbeat fill out the verse, whilst the chorus feels bigger overall - with crunchier guitars and a fuller overall sound, which pushes Meille to sing in a more overt manner. His verse delivery is a bit more restrained, but the chorus sees him operating more typically - whilst the guitar solos here are also somewhat more restrained. Kiss the Sky soon returns to the band's typical sound, though, with a snarling riff opening things up and the song as a whole taking on a high-energy mid-paced vibe with a punchy drum groove and another chorus riff which borrows from Ritchie Blackmore's 1980s approach. This chorus has a real bounce to it as a result, with Meille's vocal hooks shining, and the song overall just feels a bit simpler and more carefree. The solo section reflects this approach, too, and everything pulls together to create a strong, feel-good rocker.

Believe slows the pace down again somewhat, but it is not a ballad - instead it is another crunchy mid-paced song with a similar overall vibe to In My Blood. This song feels a bit heavier overall, though, with a real slab of a main riff that is often revisited throughout - giving the song a real heaviness. Tygers of Pan Tang were never the heaviest of the NWOBHM bands, but songs like this show that they can operate in that sphere, too, and this track is a really groovy headbanger as a result. It is also a song which really showcases the bass playing of Holding. The spotlight is not shone on him too often throughout this album, but the verses here generally rely on his playing to drive everything - with the guitars briefly dropping away before returning once again with the meaty riff for effect. This bass prominence only helps the grooves to shine, whilst a simple chorus, which has a bit of an anthemic edge, is easy to latch into thanks to Meille's conviction and a characterful delivery. It is another song which stood out from the off for me, and it is another real favourite here. A New Heartbeat then follows, which was featured on the EP of the same name last year. As such, it likely features previous bassist Gavin Gray who was still in the band when that EP was recorded - but the overall style of the track is similar to the album's core sound. It ups the pace again after the meatier previous number, and is another track which really harks back to the band's classic 1980s sound. Whilst not as hard-driving as Fire on the Horizon, the overall energy whipped up by this track is similar - particularly during the chorus which has something of an urgency to it, as well another excellent Meille vocal. The song's main riff really would have not sounded out of place on any of the band's classic albums, but the chorus itself perhaps sounds a bit more modern than that - with the melodies recalling the latter part of the 1980s. Marras' guitar solo is another great moment, too, as it starts slowly and builds up to a shredded conclusion - adding a further energy to the hard rocking piece. The album then comes to a close with the moodier Making All the Rules. The song is slower, but again is not really a ballad. It does start out sounding a bit like one, but the song overall is weightier than that. The slower sections do see the band taking a back seat as a whole, leaving some clean guitars backing Meille's lower-than-average vocal delivery, but there are moments that inject some weight - with the band crashing in around crunchy riffs whilst screaming guitar leads replace the vocals. There is a darkness to the song throughout, though, and this helps it to sound different to everything else here. Generally the band's sound is quite upbeat, but this song feels more of a downer - with Meille delivering a more emotional vocal performance, whilst guitars are used in a more atmospheric manner than usual. The guitar solo injects a moment of pace, though, with Marras shredding away - but the song in general is slower and more brooding which allows the album to end in a more interesting way, presenting a different side to the band's usual sound. Overall, then, Bloodlines delivers more of what Tygers of Pan Tang fans have become used to in recent years. I liked both the self-titled album and Ritual, but I feel that this one is better than those two - and it could rival Ambush as being my favourite of the recent crop. So many of the songs here are memorable, and the guitar partnership between Weir and Marras feels well-established already - so I hope that there is more to come from this configuration of the band.

The album was released on 5th May 2023 via Mighty Music/Target. Below is the band's promotional video for Back for Good.