The Moshville Times - Album Review: Tygers of Pan Tang

I f, like me, you are old enough to the days of the real NWOBHM movement, then the Tygers of Pan Tang will be a band that sit fondly in the memories of that time. I’d still hold Spellbound as one of my favourite albums from that era, with the vocals of Jon Deverill and the fretwork of John Sykes the standout elements. However, despite their failure to move forward after The Cage there was always an element of unfinished business about the Whitley Bay band.

Robb Weir is the man who has driven the band forward in the past two decades, and their last two albums, 2016’s Tygers of Pan Tang and 2019’s The Ritual have delivered in a way that we’d maybe expected many years earlier. When Weir and long-time drummer Craig Ellis were ed by Jack Meille on vocals almost 20 years ago, the foundations of the current line-up were cemented. With the latest additions to the band being guitarist sco Marras and bassist Huw Holding, it’s fair to say that Tygers of Pan Tang in 2023 are as robust as they have ever been.

Robb Weir comments:

I feel as confident with our new line-up as I did all those years ago when Wildcat appeared on the shelves, and it was given a unanimous thumbs up. Our recent live shows have demonstrated a harmony within the band and coupled with the quality of Bloodlines, the potential to create music and perform live shows for some considerable time to come.

I can only echo the man’s comments, for this is an album that is the product of a band who are only now coming into their prime.

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This leads me neatly into their new album Bloodlines. Ten tracks of golden, hard hitting heavy metal, Bloodlines is the best album that the Tygers of Pan Tang have ever made. It’s fast, heavy, anthemic, and superbly played. Marras is a shredder, and some of his lead breaks are phenomenal. Check out the blistering solo he peels out in “Fire on the Horizon”, a real fast-paced jack hammer of a song, just for one example.

Bloodlines is full of memorable tracks. The double hit of “Edge of the World” and “In My Blood” are both fantastic songs, with snappy choruses that will have you singing them in your sleep, as well as a hard edge that combines the band’s melodic style with a more metallic delivery that should allow the band to penetrate the consciousness of some who may have not been exposed to this wonderful band before.

Weir knows how to write a song, and how to hold down that rhythm section. Ellis is a powerhouse of a drummer, who can cut it live as well as he can on record, whilst Holding’s debut efforts are rewarded with a solid performance that provides the band with a concrete foundation. Meille’s performance is also worthy of high praise. He exudes a confidence and swagger that matches his compelling live routine. He brings the swagger on “Back for Good” which echoes the elements of Robert Plant in his delivery, rolls with the feistier “Fire on the Horizon” and can bring it down on the semi-ballad “Taste of Love”.

Bloodlines is a compelling listen. There are anthems (“A New Heartbeat”), upbeat rockers (“Kiss the Sky”) and the downright blasts of the past in the definitive NWOBHM soaked “Believe”. But don’t be mistaken into thinking this is a nostalgia filled album, far from it. It’s a contemporary hard rock/heavy metal album that deserves to get the Tygers plaudits from far and wide.

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Bloodlines is out on 5th May

Check out all the bands we review in 2023 on our Spotify and YouTube playlists!