Mean Machine

Germans has always been my favorite people for thrash and speed metal due to their outstanding heaviness, brutality and playing speed. During the 80s, Germany was one of the central figure of extreme metal, However, bands like Accept, Running Wild or Grave Digger were playing a more classic oriented heavy metal with a more aggressive vibe than many of the bands from the NWOBHM for example. There were lots of great underground bands that never got the attention they deserved, but still managed to release great material, despite the lack of good promotion. Here, we have Tyrant, which is also an existing heavy/power metal American band, but the German band of that same name presented here is the best one, if you ask me. The first time I listened to them, I was really pleased by what I had heard because of their high level of intensity, even if the music itself does not sound that original. Anyway, it was not uncommon to hear similar sounding bands and they still brought something of their own to enhance the music they were originally inspired from. Tyrant was one of the first bands of that scene to come up with a furious sound that we can see in bands cited above for instance.

The album reviewed here is the first full-length from the guys of Tyrant and it's called "Mean Machine", released in October 1984. There is a cool amount of material featured on it, but most of the 10 tracks average the 3 minutes of length. As I noticed through my listen of this album, I made a similarity to Running Wild's Gates to Purgatory because on both records, half of the songs are speed metal and the other half is more classic heavy metal oriented. Even if I prefer the faster tracks, it's still pretty nice to have such variety on a record in order to not get tired of it. The main reason I prefer the masterpiece that is the first album of Running Wild compared to this one is the fact that the slower and more mid-paced songs are weaker and less memorable. They are still mostly good, but not quite enough to be praised at the same level as the latter record.

Good news is that the album begins with the ruthless "Free for All", which is one of the best track on this record. The structure reminds a bit of "Fast as a Shark" by Accept and this is a great thing if you ask me. As you can probably notice, the vocals of "Kerrmit" are kind of similar to "Chris Boltendahl" of Grave Digger. They both have this sort of raspy voice and fits pretty well in the metal genre played. The following track "We Stay Free" is one of those mid-paced one that I spoke about earlier, it's quite entertaining with its cool main guitar riff and solo, but not that much to be excited about though. While "I'm Ready" and "Wanna Make Love" are the weakest songs on the album, the uninspired lyrics-wise "Making Noise and Drinking Beer" is catchy and the riffs are fast and heavy. One thing to also note on this record is the awesome production work done for it. The sound is amazingly good for an 84' German heavy/speed metal record, every instruments are mixed at a near perfect level, to me at least. The guitars sounds awesome as well as the drums, which really helped me digging the whole thing.

When it comes to the highlights on "Mean Machine", except for the already mentioned first track, we can note the both under three minutes speed metal attacks "Invaders" and "Killer Cat", as they are fast-paced, catchy and sick as hell. The masterpiece on the album though is definitely the epic "Blood Suckin' Woman". While the main part of the song is fast and heavy, there is a really cool melodic passage in the middle section that adds a fresh feeling to the actual track before returning back to the aggressive end section. In fact, it quickly became my favorite Tyrant song and proved to me that these guys had the musicianship to write some really interesting stuff.

If you like the other bands mentioned in this review, you might want to check Tyrant out. They are very typical to the 80s German metal scene and is worthy of being listened to. Their material might not be the best from that scene, but there are some great moments here and there. While this album is my favorite of their catalogue, you may also check out their other albums such has "Fight for Your Life" or "Running Hot" as they are also pretty good too. Definitely a recommended band and album for old school metal fans.

Favorite tracks:

Blood Suckin' Woman
Free for All
Invaders
Killer Cat
Making Noise and Drinking Beer

This half-goofed quintet is but one of the double digit Tyrants vying for control of the place, is one of the few of the bunch that actually released something more experienced than an ep, and hail from a land where ‘conquer’ has been a dirty word for around 50 years or so. Man, was Germany the guiding light above the commercial ravine or what? Not that these guys are anywhere near being grand wizards of kraut metal or anything; it’s just a generalization, nudged by nostalgia, that should feel fresh air on its face every so often.

Anyway, as if in compliance to the smirkable back cover shot (see archive page, and it’s worse in color), Tyrant’s somewhat gritty din finds asylum in bands like Venom and Motorhead (vocally mostly), the long line of nwo?hm groups that were laying down laws prior to ’84 (rhythmically and structurally), maybe more levelheaded Belgian Warhead during hastier moments, and it’d be no surprise at all if it turned out these guys played stickball as children with the Running Wild or Warrant (Ger) crews. While their sound isn’t identical to either band, like those guys Tyrant can indulge the proactive speed and six-pack metal addiction, but just as often don the eye/ear-catching traditional garb that came in trunks marked Raven, Accept, Trance, and pre-Stay Hungry Twisted Sister.

Mean Machine, the band’s first, has the atmosphere of a biker bar where you’re cool with the dudes sitting around you, but there’s an awareness that it wouldn’t take much to get them swinging, and these ten boozy tracks are formidable, strong, and amusing in the same dirty shot glass. Kermit pushes through the door first with high hopes for a brawl, ‘cos his garbled, crunchy, and rust-pitted vocal style is the most thuggish (and dire) of the band’s ingredients. Next in line is the lucid and lively cocaine drive firing up side starters “Free For All” and “Tyrant” as well as “Invaders”, “Killer Cat”, and muscled, yet soft-around-the-middle “Blood Suckin’ Woman” - songs that’re looking for a tussle all scraped up and freshly stitched.

The rest walk in sized and shaped differently. “I’m Ready”, Accept-ish “Wanna Make Love”, tedious “Grapes of Wrath”, and “We Stay Free” are the momentum-calming songs that keep peace among the bruisers without necessarily sitting there sipping water. Rather, they throw back a few Lowenbrau at their own I’ve-got-all-night-to-drink pace and are seldom rowdy or loud, but add their own color to the scenery’s sweaty stench. Playfully serious “Making Noise and Drinking Beer” just wants to put its arm around everyone and hoot and holler ‘til the wee hours of the morning.

Like Running Wild’s debut and Anvil’s Metal on Metal, the album keeps track of its heart rate as it sprints in energetic spurts followed by a cool down phase, fluctuating moodily for that planned bi-polar, smoothly erratic line of sight and works in the album’s best interests.

Mean Machine as a whole is a fun watering hole and Tyrant is a barkeep who knows his customers prefer the counter liquor-smeared and sticky. Unfortunately, the band’s follow-up, Fight for Your Life, empties the bar of most of its entertaining barflies, leaving only the regulars no one wanted to invite to the diner afterward.