If Slayer ever decided they want to write a power metal song, then it would sound exactly like the opening track, “Night of the Defender,” on Tyrant Eyes’ newest release The Darkest Hour. Kick ass song.
Tyrant Eyes hails from Germany, and even though they have decided to place the words “power metal album” on their promotional flyers, people who pick up the CD thinking they are going to hear something akin to Helloween are going to be disappointed. This CD is too hard to be called power metal. It’s too metal. It is, as someone from Boston would call it, “wicked pissa!”
The first three songs are the best on the CD, and the second song, “Delight in Dying,” is almost experimental. It starts with heavy keyboards, and sounds like your average power metal fare. Once the guitars kick in, it’s still something you have heard before. But when the vocals start, it sounds similar to Glenn Danzig in his Misfits era incarnation. And towards the end of the song, this evil whisper hisses “Delight …” followed by a guttural yell of “… in Dying!” The songs changes from a happy power metal tune to almost a death metal tune by the end. Following that tune with a song called “Magic Touch,” that has a punk/thrash vibe to it, and you’ll see Tyrant Eyes is on to something here.
Even when you think you know what you are getting, like in the fourth song, “The Dawn,” you’ll be surprised. It begins with a slow, soft guitar melody, and when lead vocalist Alexandar Reimund sings “I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to say … and I am crying,” you’ll think you are going to hear a very catchy radio-friendly tune. Then, it cranks up, heavy guitars, and you’ll hear something close to Slayer again as he barks out some of the lines. When the chorus hits, the vocals are sung again.
Some other good songs on the CD are “Out of the Dark,” (because he says “fuck” a few times, and that makes any song better,) “NDE” and “The Last Light.”
And, just to be fair, the song “Gladiator” is fairly cheesy. It starts with a sword battle, and just goes on to a song you’ve heard many times before. Songs about gladiators are just so played out …
Check out their website , and if are in to something a little different, check out their CD as well.
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