Tyrant's Reign

Of all the great bands from the 80’s that never made it big, but certainly deserved recognition, Tyrant’s Reign is one of my favorites and one of the most revered by the fans. If for nothing else, then for the “Year Of The Tyrants” EP.

This CD here is actually the compilation of their post-EP material ranging from 1988 to 1989. Judging by the sound of these tracks a lot was changed from the EP, as thrash metal’s popularity probably caught this band as well, which was initially more power metal. This change, even if forced by the environment, I can’t judge as bad, as Tyrant’s Reign simply continued making excellent songs, only this time faster, more powerful and totally killer. Even songs from the EP, like ‘Tyrant’s Reign’ and ‘Jack The Ripper’, sound good in these versions and it’s hard to decide which would be better for the band. Though first 9 songs were recorded in 2 different studios, the remastering and remixing have been done so skillfully that you can’t tell the difference. That’s probably why their running order is mixed, while the closing two tracks were recorded at a rehearsal and thus are separated from the bunch; they differ mostly in vocal sound, while music is restored masterfully.

As music here is pretty much unknown to the wider audience, let’s just say that this was American melodic thrash metal, the kind I personally like the most, something like for example Heathen, Agent Steel and bands like this. It is interesting to see just how much the band members changed after at least 14 years. Of 3 original remaining members, Karl Miller (guitar) looks exactly the same, Randy Barron (vocal) looks just a bit more mature with his beard and mustache, and only Phil Fouch (bass) looks a lot older. And also to mention that this compilation is dedicated to the late guitarist Chris Nelken, one of authors of all these songs.