Legions of the Dead

It really shocked me to see that the reviews for this album here on Metal Archives weren't that great, and because I feel like the score poorly represents how this album would appeal to the average metal listener, I'm going to weigh in.

Legions Of The Dead is a little rough around the edges. It's not just a little, it's pretty rough. It has a level of rawness and maybe rushed or low budget seeming production that would be pretty typical for an extreme metal record of the time, but I think the thing that gets some is that it's not really an extreme metal album. This is a power metal recording, first and foremost. When people listen to power metal, they're looking for something a bit more majestic, for lack of a better word.

Tyrant isn't really the band for that. They're supposed to be rough around the edges. The "power" metal name comes from the 'epic' nature of the songs, the weight and force behind them, and the fact that this sounds like it's being played in a massive arena or something. Not to mention, singer Glen May's interspersion of Halford-style screams amongst his usual harsher shouts...that's pretty power metal. It just overall has that "big" sound, and while it's okay to call this a heavy metal record, it feels worth it to mention the album's ties to the power metal scene as a whole.

Most of the songs featured here are pretty straightforward 80s metal tracks, filled with NWOBHM-inspired riffs. It almost comes off as though this is glam metal for "true" metalheads. It's very much singalong, almost self-parodying, simplistic metal material, but instead of hairspray and other cosmetics, we basically just have sweat here, in terms of both aesthetic and musical ethic. These guys prioritize their heaviness and writing songs that are "fun" above all else. Although there are some slower moments that seem to try to be something more, there's not a lot of artistic pretense, and they aren't really trying to push any boundaries here, which is totally fine by me.

Building on what I said, there actually is something I'll dock a few points for. Legions Of The Dead has it's boring moments. The "going hard" vibe presented here isn't consistent enough for my tastes, and sometimes makes it seem that the album lacks direction. What I mean by this is that there are a few slower sections that have been placed around for dramatic effect. Aside from the powerful, and to me, actually really pretty sounding "Sacrifice", the band doesn't pull this off very well, and that ends up being a little cheesy in a way that doesn't sit as well with me as the more fun cheese on this album.

Overall, Legions Of The Dead a solid release. Nothing to be blown away over, but it's a very enjoyable and very heavy album.

Tyrant has been around for quite a while now, and this band is generally held in high regard amongst the NWOBHM-fanatics.Unfortunately, however, they have a very limited discography and to make matters worse, most of their music is frankly uninspired and borderline annoying. The eighties proved to be a battleground between the hair metal scene, which was dominating the airwaves and was the main reason why a lot of teens in the eighties looked like stupid drag queens, and the underground extreme metal scene, which was slowly spreading its roots throughout the whole world.

Tyrant, instead of pledging their allegiance to any one particular dominant sub-genre, decided to borrow aspects from both the glam metal scene and darker variants of the same root genre. This lackadaisical unity, rather than proving to be a fertile ground for the procreation of interesting ideas, proved to me that it is trying to reach grounds beyond its ability, and the final result is not as good as it is generally considered to be. Most songs bleed into each other in a very opaque way which leaves the listener baffled to discover that he had already listened to several tracks, even though it may have seemed like only one track had been played.

The average nature of the riffs, the complacency of the drums and the ungodly bothersome wails the singer seems hell-bent on assaulting the listener with, make up for a very uninspiring, yet listenable release. Given the high amount of praise I've seen towards this band, I was left flabbergasted after the first part of the album finished. My thoughts at that moment were that "Tyrant" is basically a lower-tier Priest/Maiden clone that is trying to pass off as edgy with the adoption of a very shallow "evil" atmosphere enforced by the production. Unfortunately for Tyrant, their amalgamation of certain styles, many a times create some very annoying parts within a good number of songs where their love for more mainstream metal becomes highly evident.

Overall, Legions of The Dead makes up for quite a decent listen. Even though I found this full-length to be lacking in many aspects in general, when you approach this full-length on a track-by-track basis, it redeems itself a little bit because it gives you more time to enjoy and appreciate each individual track. Some solos present on some songs are very apt and show a good level of musical fluency. However, in the end, what matters the most is the essential overall quality of the full-length when taken in as one single work of art, and this album didn't quite manage to achieve that .

If you're in a record store doing a quick search on the metal archives for info and you are choosing between this " Legions of the Dead" LP and anything else, then pick the "other" LP unless, that is, you want a good laugh.

This tragedy perpetrated upon the mid-'80s by Tyrant was a Metal Blade release, so it may be of some interest just to mine the archives, however the album is basically a mutation of Judas Priest, albeit a poor man's Priest; an ultra-contrived, poseur metal, and more "evil" spin on Judas Priest from the same period.

The riffs could be accurately described as the antithesis of innovative, but the guitar work has a few shining moments despite the lackluster songcraft such as the guitar solo on "Fall Into the Hands of Evil." The singing is of the sub-par "hair metal" variety, but the vocalist, Glen May, has an extremely irritating wail that he injects at all the wrong moments, I assume to add the intensity of the tracks. It's May's attempt to summon the demons that King Diamond succeeded at invoking, but it misses the mark and the screams should have been turned down in the mix. It's embarrassing to hear and, along with the poorly rendered band logo, I can only assume that this band was more interested in "getting laid" than in writing quality metal.

Chances are that you won't make it to the flip side of this forgotten record and that will be for good reason. The corny, unimaginative lyrics about Satan and darkness are rife throughout every track on "Legions of the Dead," offering us very few memorable lyrical moments as well. One of the least laughable tracks happens to be hilariously entitled "Knight of Darkness" and features a nice bass breakdown, a bluesy solo with whammy bar moves, and the lyric: "I am the knight of black / and I carry a blood sword / I ride for the dark force / and fight for my lord." The better songs tend to bring a slightly more "evil" perhaps Celtic Frost-inspired tone to their obvious Priest rip-off sound, which might have been this band's very reason for existence

Overall, this record could be enjoyed under the right circumstances, but don't expect a masterpiece from this group who were neglected by the buying public for a reason. I'm actually shocked that they released more than this album in their career.

During the years around 1985 many bands were finding their breaking point, while thrash seemed to be developing faster than ever, and other more obscure bands were taking things a step further with more speed and power, there was still room for even more innovation. Bands like Manilla Road were already writing the blueprints for epic metal, but Tyrant practically comes out of nowhere breaking the rules, and does things like no other band had done. There was hardly anything out there quite like this at the time, and even today it still sparks with originality.

Vocalist Glen May is simply one of the best vocalists I've ever heard, and hands down one of my top favorites. This album shows a younger side with the vocals as well, since he throws out a huge amount of screams and shrieks compared to their later stuff, heck there weren't even any shrieks to be heard on King of Kings at all and most of the shrieks on their next album Too Late to Pray were usually only in the background. The majority of his vocals are spent in a more commanding mid-range, with the higher notes finishing off phrases or whatnot. The best comparison would probably be comparing his singing here to Harry Conklin's via Ample Destruction. Very demanding and extremely proud.

It'd be a sin to stop the compliments there though. The rest of the band is nearly flawless as well. Rocky Rockwell puts out some of the catchiest rhythm's and riffs, and brings in the epic touch to this album with the guitars alone. Upbeat, dramatic, blisteringly fast, catchy, diverse, its all there. Greg May never slips up a bit and knows his bass well. Rob Roy finalizes the group with his excellent ability on the drums, dynamic and poundingly tough. Don't expect a generic endless pattern of double bass, but diversity. The production itself is pretty heavy and has quite a crunch, with each instrument being very clear to hear including May's vocals. For being 1985, this is pretty damn good with the sound.

The best thing about this album is the consistency. Every song is downright catchy, and every song is easy to get into no matter where you start. It starts off with Warriors of Metal which is definitely more straightforward than things to come (obviously with that kind of title, eh?). But at the same time, it may very well be the greatest song about -metal- ever written. You'll instantly get to know what this band is all about with this song alone, May's incredible vocals, the devastating power their performance gives off, and Rocky Rockwell's guitars will surely get your attention. Fall into the Hands of Evil takes you on a slower ride, preparing you for things to come still, and yet again this song is just catchier than ever. The Battle of Armageddon is when their style is truly defined. Starting off a little more dramatic and slower than others only to build up to the epic onslaught ahead. This is definitely when their epic factor kicks in. Next up is the self-titled track Legions of the Dead and pretty much does everything the previous song did, but even better. The next passable track teases with its hints towards their next album. Its under a minute long, so doesn't really do anything but translate the previous song to the next. Listen to the Preacher follows suit of previous songs with its structure, but does have an occasional goofy background chorus "Don't turn your back..." May sounds a bit too cheesy here, but oh well? Knight of Darkness again is jam packed with those catchy and upbeat rhythm's and fills in the empty space with some dark atmosphere. Thru the Night tends to gravitate back towards simplicity, a bit like the first track on the album. Regardless it doesn't feel too out of place. Sacrifice is another longer track decorated with nothing but emotion and atmosphere. The final track Time is Running Low is completely over the top, and seems to fuse their simpler and epic styles into one.

Overall this album is extremely catchy and easily accessible for those who like a bit of aggression and atmosphere within their metal. Very consistent and the majority of the album is top notch. Though the epic taste is riddled throughout this album, it wouldn't come close to their masterpiece which would be their next release. Either way, Legions of the Dead still triumphs over an endless amount of bands out there, and is something that demands to be heard. This album screams metal pride!

“…you will see the fires of hell rain throughout the night…”

If there’s one facet of Tyrant’s music I can easily remember, it’s the epic fabric entwining the majority of material found on Legions of the Dead. Epic for most bands usually means the ten seconds at the start or finish of a tune, that blaze of jaw-clenching glory they hope will stick in the listener’s craw long after the song's trumpets have blared their last, especially if the band is realistic enough to admit that the meat of the track is on the undercooked or soggy side. Of course, just about every band has its moments, but this CA four-piece can make it sound as effortless as crossing a dirt road.

Musically, thrash metal is not in the band’s aural vocabulary and only now and then do they rove anywhere near speed territory. Obviously not black or death metal and goth is far away, so where does that leave us? Those disliking traditional/power metal shouldn’t get the clothespins just yet, 'cos the dark ambiance and malevolent character these eleven tracks possess aren’t Iced Earth or Nevermore, but a precursor to them with more tradition than true power style.

Aside from impressive rhythmic structures and melodies, a mighty contribution to this majesty is the commanding and distinct vocals of Glen May. With the uncanny ability to control a song’s atmosphere merely with his voice, he can take an ordinary tract of music and animate it with the breath of life. Piercing highs, imposing mids, and fiendish lows is his arsenal that he usually unleashes at the right moments, a trident of power and range that is purely an asset (and doesn’t remind me of King Diamond).

With a painfully traditional title, “Warriors of Metal” is one of those ‘safe’ songs I often cite; moderately paced, decent rhythms and chorus, some high notes are hit…nothing over the top and kicks off the lp with the force of a mild backhand slap. Continuing in that restrained rate is “Fall Into the Hands of Evil”, but reveals the first epic shades in the chorus, partially vocal-backed and with a slightly more dangerous pretense, but “The Battle of Armageddon” and its alluring bass line is where it truly starts. Despite the song's greatness, however, I’m a little disappointed with this album version, for the original take on Metal Blade's 1983 Metal Massacre III compilation possesses a more mystical, ghostly atmosphere, thanks largely to a more menacing vocal performance as well as (more) passionate solos that seem to rise up from electric depths as often as they erupt from nowhere. Gone or altered are many of the wild, almost impromptu wails and yelps - battle cries for all intents and purposes - that flew in, over, under and around the main verses. That's not to say every alteration is lesser than, yet had the best of both been stitched together...well, in the end it's still nothing less than epic. The title cut follows, a continual acoustic/powerhouse split-screen montage displaying the band’s diversity, both rhythmically and vocally. May’s vocals is a key proponent to both sides of this spectrum..."put your fiiiiist...up in the aiiiirrrrr...", his lungs at home in either dimension while backing vocals ignite the chorus so Rocky Rockwell’s guitar electricity can light the night.

Side two opens with the kinda, well, campy intro “Tyrant’s Revelation”, literally chimed in with uncharacteristic synthesizers and an emphasized tone of warning. The lyrics are the song titles wrapped into a tiny story that May does his best to make sound ill-omened, but seems pretty unnecessary even to this then-fifteen year old. “Listen to the Preacher” makes amends with a slower drama underscoring commanding riffs, meanwhile other top song, “Knight of Darkness”, bursts spirited outta the gate with more heavy riffs, a provoking chorus and thespian ending. Not faltering is the vigorous “Thru the Night”, the song that likely shoulda kicked off the lp. The most otherworldly is "Sacrifice", dwelling somewhere in darkened, far-flung reaches of the term 'ballad', a Satanic commandment that God-fearing parents across the nation would hunch over from nosebleeds should they happen to overhear its lyrics ring from their childrens' bedrooms. May expertly delivers its simple message while its rhythms dictate the song’s diabolic nature. Hotfooting it to the lp’s end is “Time is Running Low”, a straightforward mover whose strong and lengthy chorus nicely twines with the solos throughout the tune.

Strong, dark metal that enjoys a profusion of moods and loads of vocal envy, Tyrant prove that traditional power metal doesn’t have to revolve around magical beasts and ivory towers. In addition, they unwittingly confirm that songs can be written about darker things in the cosmos without playing black metal.

By chance, does anyone know the identity of the driver sitting in the car on the front cover? [Ed. - finally found out who the hell he is - keyboardist and limo driver Paris Lane, formerly of the Hollywood rock band London. At long last, now I can die].



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