TYGERS OF PAN TANG: Spellbound (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

With "Wild Cats", their previous opus, the Englishmen of Tygers Of Pan Tang had made the fans' ears perk up and easily positioned themselves at the head of the NWOBHW pack, in relentless pursuit of leaders such as Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, and Saxon. For this "Spellbound", a few line up changes were made in the ranks of the tigers.

These moves will prove to be beneficial for their music. Indeed, without taking anything away from Jess Cox's qualities, the arrival of Jon Deverill gives a new dimension to the Tygers Of Pan Tangs' music. Just like Dickinson in Iron Maiden the same year, the warm tessitura and the irreproachable technique of the vocalist allow the band to offer more ambitious and epic songs, like 'Mirror' which is very close to Judas Priest. Still thanks to the vocals, softer and almost lyrical passages appear without boring, like on 'Dont Stop By'. And without falling into the cheesy ballad, these occasional slowing down airs the album in a very beautiful way.

On the whole, the recipe remains the same. A resolutely energetic music, a kind of heavy metal that leans towards hard rock. Some influences to the great ones of the 70's (UFO, Thin Lizzy, Scorpions, The Gun...) are striking but the tone remains modern and anchored in the NWOBHM. The riffs are powerful and the bubbling soli of Sykes add still more aggressiveness in the music of the tigers. On this electric base, there are easily memorable vocal lines.

Some of the tracks presented here stand out from the crowd. The sublime 'Mirror' starts as a ballad and then builds up to a powerful performance by Jon Deverill! The raging 'Hellbound' and 'Gangland' give a big rhythm to the beginning of the album. The end will be more controlled but not without moments of happiness like 'Dont Stop By' which concludes ideally the album.

"Spellbound" is therefore a very good album despite a production a little too uneven from one track to another (they will do better on the next). It's just a pity to see the general oblivion in which the Tygers Of Pan Tang have fallen nowadays. - Official website

TYGERS OF PAN TANG

SPELLBOUND

MCA

HARD ROCK