Tyrants of Chaos – Relentless Thirst for Power (Self-Released)
Friday, 19th August 2022
Western Canadian quintet Tyrants of Chaos has been delivering their brand of traditional heavy metal since 2013 – releasing two albums to date independently, continuing that path for this third full-length with Relentless Thirst for Power. There’s a certain level of excitement when you experience musicians that subscribe to an organic, pure philosophy as far as their approach and style. That’s what you’ll get through these ten tracks, using a firm classic metal base while adding some power and thrash nuances to keep things energetic as well as entertaining.
Listeners can expect a strong, engaging twin-guitar foundation that lays down addictive, headbanging rhythms that move through mid-tempo to slightly faster/heavier moments, plus bass/drum rhythm section work which maintains that solid backbone to drive the main swinging hooks home. It’s evident that these gentlemen have studied, enjoyed, and worship at the feet of artists like Megadeth, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, and much missed domestic act 3 Inches of Blood when you take in specific key riffs or soaring screams/ high note escapades during “Skull Crusher” plus “T.O.C.”. When it comes to piercing leather lungs, high note ascension, and fierce main melodies, Tyrants of Chaos have the ideal frontman in Phil Sirias – his conviction and delivery during “Slay the Hostages” rivalling the Halford/Dickinson 80’s heydays, yet also showcasing a smoother register in the low range verses of a semi-marching, doom-oriented “No Lives Matter”. The construction, pacing, and tenacious nature when guitarists Curtiss Vaselenak and Arik Wagner shift from power/thrash to traditional chord movements makes for some fist waving highlights – “The Black Gap” probably serving up the widest array of dynamic appeal.
Because this is self-released, DIY traits appear in spots when it comes to the tones, organic production and occasional predictable sequences that maybe stretch things a touch beyond their current capabilities (the good cop/bad cop chorus of “Mourning Sickness” a clear example). Overall, Tyrants of Chaos live up to their moniker, making Relentless Thirst for Power a record that most heavy and old school North American power followers could easily get into.
