Tanith – Voyage (Metal Blade Records)
Wednesday, 26th April 2023
Tantalizing old school followers through their 2019 debut album In Another Time, Tanith awakens from the COVID slumber for this sophomore platter Voyage. Losing second guitarist Charles Newton the day before hitting the studio may have pushed the wind out of other musicians’ sails – but these veterans took things in stride, the addition of guest axe man Andee Blacksugar ensuring the competitive lead break action as well as twin harmony spots. The record continues the organic, analog production values that optimize the 70’s-oriented philosophy and influences they choose to base these nine songs upon – while upping their game in terms of flashier drumming, killer guitar melodies, and more heartwarming vocal harmony possibilities.
The spider web guitar lines beyond sturdy main chord progressions spun from the mind of Russ Tippins through his steady hands holds rapt attention – even when choosing mysterious clean nuances in a circular manner for the Rush-oriented “Olympus by Dawn”. The masterful groove to sophisticated twists between bassist Cindy Maynard and drummer Keith Robinson take shape in the energetic “Seven Moons (Galantia Part 2)”, allowing the melodic vocals of Russ/Cindy to be as equally hard hitting and passionate as the musical underpinning. The acoustic/electric start for “Snow Tiger” has a bit of The Who feel before turning into an early 80’s Iron Maiden-esque affair, ‘like a tiger in winter you learn to adapt/ a tiger will always survive’ a picturesque series of words easily brought to visual life. Plenty of songs contain killer twin guitar action that elevates audiences into fist pumping horns, the dual vocal employment also giving Tanith that extra secret sauce weapon for dynamic enhancement (“Adrasteia” one of the best examples for this record). Often the music zigs when you expect a zag, yet never loses the plot as far as creating those undeniable monster hooks with the right vocal delivery or penetrating main chord sequence – “Never Go Back” an uplifting finisher that could be quite an extend jam effort when aired live.
Voyage is indeed a continuation of what Tanith already is very skilled at when it comes to delivering 70’s style classic hard rock/metal – just choosing to expand the playbook to showcase even more shades to an already appeasing product. If names like Thin Lizzy, Rush, Iron Maiden, Uriah Heep, and Wishbone Ash mean the world to you, then you need this band in your life.
