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

There are some bands that can feel like comfort bands. They generally release new music pretty regularly which, whilst likely not ground breaking or even especially outstanding, is solid, enjoyable, and follows an established formula that makes it easy to get stuck into. There are many bands that could fall into that category, but one such for me is the Whitley Bay-based five-piece Tygers of Pan Tang. Forming back in 1978, although only guitarist Robb Weir remains from those early days, the band became a pretty big name during the early 1980s NWOBHM era - with a number of striking album covers, razor-sharp songwriting that mixed melody and crunch, and a guitarist in John Sykes that went onto bigger things with Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, and Blue Murder. Tygers of Pan Tang have always been more than Sykes' first proper band, though. He was not a part of 1980's Wild Cat, a debut album with a raw edge similar to those early Iron Maiden recordings that showcased Weir as more than capable a guitarist on his own, and the band always felt like more than the sum of their parts - with early frontmen Jess Cox and John Deverill both underrated voices of the NOWBHM era. Save for the back end of the 1980s and much of the 1990s, too, Tygers of Pan Tang have pretty much been active and busy. Whilst Weir is the only member from the 1980s left at this point, something which has been the case for a long time, and there was even a brief period before the band broke up in the late 1980s where he was absent, the band have been on something of a strong run for a while. They have been releasing new material pretty regularly since reforming in 1999, but I feel that the current era started with the arrival of frontman Jacopo Meille in 2004. Meille, Weir, and drummer since 2000 Craig Ellis have essentially formed the core of Tygers of Pan Tang ever since, with guitarists and bassists coming and going - with 2008's Animal Instinct the first album to feature all three. Since then, the band have continued to go from strength to strength - releasing new albums on a pretty regular basis and getting on the road whenever they can. The first album that I got when it was new was 2012's Ambush - and I have picked up everything the band have released since, covering them all here. A new Tygers of Pan Tang album may not be a yearly highlight, but they are certainly albums that I look forward to - as I know that I am likely to enjoy them. This has certainly been the case of late, with 2023's Bloodlines (which I reviewed here), the band's last album, perhaps my favourite of the recent crop alongside the excellent Ambush. They have not released a bad album of late, either, and, at this point, I feel that such is unlikely. Weir and the rest of the band have a core approach that they largely stick to - and there are shades of their classic 1980s sound on all of these recent albums, alongside a newer identity that has been around since Meille came on board. Three years on from Bloodlines and the band have again hit us with something new - with Electrifyed dropping last month. Built again around Meille, Weir, and Ellis, bassist Huw Holding also returns from Bloodlines. There is a new face in the form of guitarist John Foottit (Nerve Senta; Change of Heart; Chrome Molly), who joined the band earlier this year in place of Francesco Marras. I do wonder if some of the album had been worked on before Foottit was in place, though, as Marco Angioni (Chaoswave; Meridian; Empire Drowns; Street Fighter; Withering Surface), who also produced the album, played some guitar here, including some solos, meaning that the guitar playing throughout seems to be split between Weir, Foottit, and Angioni.

Whilst Marras seemed a big part of Bloodlines' success, and it is a shame that he only stuck around long enough to co-write one album, Electrifyed still finds the band in rude health. Their core sound is very much still established here - with the main three of Meille, Weir, and Ellis once again writing some strong songs. Holding has also stepped up here as a songwriter, contributing to a few songs - making the album something of a team effort. It kicks off with Rise Up!, with swirling orchestration and distant twin lead guitars setting a dense tone - but soon a muscular, mid-paced riff kicks in, which feels faster than it actually is when Ellis' drumming kicks in. The main riff is a bit heavier than the band's usual approach, but it works well - especially when it drops in and out during the verses that follow, with Holding's bass sometimes left alone to drive the band behind Meille's vocals. Vocally, Meille sounds as good as ever. He may not be the band's classic singer, but he has been around for over 20 years at this point - and his melodic tone perfectly suits the band's sound. His smoothness nicely counters the tougher riffing during the verses - whilst the chorus here is the first of many pretty memorable ones found throughout the album. The band are rarely genuinely anthemic, but they have plenty of strong choruses in their catalogue - and there is a nice sheen throughout this song thanks to some underlying keyboards, Meille's vocals, and a later guitar solo that is fast-paced yet melodic. The mix of heavy riffing and hooks elsewhere works nicely, and the album gets off to a strong start as a result. Forevermore picks up the pace somewhat, with some hanging power chords opening the song up ahead of some stabbing drumming - before a pacier riff takes over with some shredded guitar leads above. The song does not feel as heavy as the opening number, but the classic Tygers of Pan Tang sound is very much on show here. The riffing style harks back to the 1980s, and there is an energy and smoothness to the overall riffing that is a sound that the band have been exhibiting for many years. The faster, chugging verses are packed full of energy here, with the band sounding fired up from the off, whilst the chorus slows things down a little - with longer held chords and a bit more of a precise approach to allow the vocal melodies to shine. There is a bit more of a dynamic approach taken at times, too, with a slower bridge section that includes clean guitar melodies and some twin guitar leads. The Powers That Be was one of the songs that stood out from the off when I first listened to the album, and it remains one of the overall highlights in my view. Like the previous song, there is a chugging quality to much of this number - but the pace has been reined in a little, instead allowing for a bit of a groovier approach. Despite this, though, there is still an energy to the verses - with a pleasing crunch to the guitar riffing and the prominent bass playing of Holding. This is also one of those songs that does not change things up much for its chorus. The rhythms throughout are similar, but the vocals during the chorus become more pointed - with subtle harmonies and some punchier hooks which would certainly go down well live. There is a strong sense of melody throughout the song, too. Meille's vocals throughout are very easy on the ear, both during the verses and the chorus, whilst the guitar soloing later on is also packed full of melody.

Dark Divinity returns to something more akin to the crunchier sound of the opening number. There is less grandeur this time, though, with the song being a crunchy, slower, heavier number - with a strong bass presence and a pleasing, mid-paced propulsion. Tygers of Pan Tang never feel genuinely heavy, but they can adopt a bit of a creeping vibe when they want to - and this song certainly exhibits such, especially during the pre-chorus, which builds towards a chorus that actually ups the pace a little. The song overall is a powerful one, then, with a simple, strong chorus that is very easy to sing along with - meaning that it is likely to be another one that would go down well live. The way that the song speeds up towards the end is pleasing, too, and it contrasts nicely with the slower pace heard elsewhere. The album's title track follows, and it is a song that I heard the band play live a few months ago when I caught them in London on tour with Demon. I enjoyed the song at the time, but hearing it properly has made it go up in my estimations. It is a song that mixes the band's somewhat heavier side with some classic chorus hooks. The spoken word opening is something a bit different for the band, but the song overall is pretty much typical of the album's core approach. The verses have a snappy energy to them, despite some slightly darker riffing, whilst the chorus is one that really harks back to the classic albums of the 1980s - with a slower, groovy riff topped by some excellent vocals from Meille. The chorus is another of the album's standout sections - whilst the shredded guitar leads that are thrown in quite regularly, backed by Ellis' double bass drumming, give the song more of a kick. A Shadow of Fire opens with some quite bluesy riffing, although the guitars have a metallic edge to them - under which Ellis lays down some percussive drumming. Tygers of Pan Tang have sometimes gone for a slightly bluesier approach, especially in more recent times, and the sound often works well - mixing 1970s riffing with a more metallic guitar tone. That being said, though, the rest of the song is not all that bluesy. Perhaps some of the verse guitar playing feels a bit more organic, but there is a strong drive throughout from the rhythm section that allows for plenty of energy - whilst the chorus is backed by one of the best riffs on the album in my opinion, over which Meille lays down more strong hooks. For me, many of the album's strongest cuts around found during this mid-section run. There are hooks all throughout this group of songs - with the current line-up sounding at their best here. The Nail slows the pace down quite considerably, going for a groovier sound backed by slower riffing and a chugging approach. Whilst not exactly Black Sabbath levels of lumbering, the band's usual snappy approach is not really present here. The guitars throughout have a strong headbanging pattern, under which Ellis' more organic drumming sounds a little louder than usual. The bluesy grooves are pleasing, and it is interesting hearing Meille singing in a lower register than is typical for him for parts of the song. The verses especially have that heavier, deeper sound - whilst the chorus is a bit more typical for the band, with Meille letting rip a little more vocally. Whilst I do like the approach, the song overall is not as memorable as the run of songs that came before it - even if the change of pace is a welcome addition to the album overall to shake things up.

The Fight Goes On returns to something more typical of the band's core approach, picking up the pace again with a snappy riff and a much more strident Meille vocal performance. This song has a lot of the key ingredients to be another strong Tygers of Pan Tang effort, including some excellent lead guitar flourishes throughout which are a bit more dynamic than is typical, but I find the chorus a bit of a let down. The band have attempted to do something of a call-and-response approach, with backing vocals singing the song's title and the Meille responding. The issue is, though, that the backing vocal sections have no power behind them - and they are quite low in the mix. If there were proper, Accept-esque gang vocals during this chorus, it would likely sound very powerful, and the song would be another highlight, but as things are it falls flat - which is disappointing given that many of the other sections of the song are pretty strong. Dark Skies opens with some mid-paced, grinding riffing, before a melodic guitar lead that reminds me of something Michael Schenker might have written for one of his early solo albums comes in. It is a shame that this guitar approach is not retained throughout, but the song is still a pretty enjoyable effort - and it is one that somewhat returns to the majestic nature of the opening cut. The band have never been big users of keyboards, but they are employed in an atmospheric manner occasionally - and this song is one that does so on occasion. There is a bit of a bigger sound conjured up as a result. Tygers of Pan Tang rarely go for an epic sound, and they have something of a working class aesthetic, but this is one such number that feels a bit more ambitious for the band - with lengthier guitar solo sections, the use of synths as mentioned, and Meille really going for it vocally. The chorus has something of an epic feel, even if it is not that expansive in the grand scheme of things, and there is a lot to like here - with the band pushing the envelope a little compared to their usual approach. Revenge Is Sweet, which brings the album to a close, is somewhat similar in approach. It is the longest song here at just under six minutes, and there are a few different sounds going on. Weir makes use of a talk box at times, something which he has done occasionally in the past, whilst the keyboards are much more prominent this time - with a smoother, melodic rock approach conjured up at times. The guitars still drive everything, but there is just a bigger sound on show due to the more prominent use of keyboards. The song is likely the most expansive thing on the album, but compared to any mildly progressive band the arrangement is pretty typical. There are hints of Magnum in the use of keyboards and the slightly more pomp-based sound, but otherwise the core Tygers of Pan Tang sound is well and truly entrenched - with Meille sounding great as usual. It is a strong and slightly different end to the album, but really the song is just Tygers of Pan Tang doing what they do with a few more bells and whistles. Whilst I do not think that this latest album is quite as strong as the last one, Electrifyed remains a very enjoyable effort from Tygers of Pan Tang. The middle of the album in particular is strong, and there are a number of songs here that would work well live. It will be interesting to see what Foottit brings to the band when he is involved right from the start - but with the core three driving the songwriting the core sound will no doubt remain.

The album was released on 11th September 2026 via Mighty Music/Target. Below is the band's promotional video for Electrifyed.