TYRANT’S CURSE
“Modern Babylon”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Tyrant’s Curse are a heavy/power metal band from Germany formed in 2019 by multi-instrumentalist Andreas Leyer – playing every instrument as well as assuming the role of vocalist. The band released its debut album ‘Symbiosis’ in 2020, and its sophomore album ‘Modern Babylon’ in 2021.

With his solo vision, Andreas proceeds to plough his own furrow in the heavy/power metal genre, setting himself no limitations, for “limitation means standstill” says the multi-instrumentalist. And he’s right! If you set yourself limits, you have no room for growth, expanding, or evolving. Putting aside the power metal genre’s traditional lyrical themes of imaginary battles, riding dragons, wizardry, sorcery, and all things magical and fantastical, ‘Modern Babylon’ concentrates on mankind’s ability to destroy everything it creates, ignoring human boundaries, and accepting human losses. A powerful message, and one that Andreas gets across during the albums fifty minutes and eleven songs…

…all coming to life with a menacing ‘Sabbath style doom heavy riff, before a dramatic change of pace sees album opener ‘Ego Shooter’ storm off. A hugely melodious chorus will infect listeners and keep them hooked for all ‘Ego Shooter’s five minutes and fourteen seconds play time. Picking up the pace and steaming on, ‘Another Fallen Angel’ is a full on and in your face gallop of heavy/power metal. Slowing down for the chorus break, ‘Another Fallen Angel’ does maintain the albums high melodic intent and infectious nature. And after just two songs, the stall has been set out by the German multi-instrumentalist, to create an atmosphere of intoxication, with just the right amount of head bang able heaviness. ‘How To Kill A Lie’ features monster heavy riffage, the heaviest heard so far, and a mid tempo pace. Foot stompingly addictive, ‘How To Kill A Lie’ means business, jack hammering forth with killer intent. Prepare for a bruising with this menacing crusher.

Shifting gear, feel and style, ‘Fall Of Icarus’ lands fairly and squarely in the heavy metal genre, echoing the iconic sound of the early eighties NWOBHM evolution. A definite foot on the monitor vibe coupled with the buzzing guitar sound so synonymous with the NWOBHM, and ‘Fall Of Icarus’ opens its musical aspirations to a much wider audience. The title song ‘Modern Babylon’, is the shortest song on offer at just three minutes and forty seconds in length, but has such a menacing feel as it opens some listeners may just cower in fear. But as it progresses, the meticulous melodic thread that runs freely throughout this album rears its head high, turning menacing into flouncing… ‘Anthem Of The Weak’ is bold and full of swagger, hinting at the anthemic style of metal as it marches on with a mighty ground shuddering rhythm. Changing pace as the chorus arrives, the albums melodic nature kicks in and ‘Anthem Of The Weak’ becomes as infectious as the rest of the album.

With heavy majesticness, ‘Evolution Of Progeny’ proceeds to batter the senses with a savage nature not heard previously. Picking up the pace too, ‘Evolution Of Progeny’ strides on with purpose and intent, with heads banging harder and fists savagely punching the air. Featuring a more traditional flavour, ‘Nightmares’ is a bombastic high tempo gallop of foot on the monitor styled heavy metal. The chorus break soars into the realms of symphonic metal, highly atmospheric and tension filled. It’s always hard to pick a favourite song from an album, and to be honest I rarely do, but ‘Nightmares’ certainly stands out as the front runner. Shifting into the AOR genre – yes, you did read that right – ‘What’s Left Of Me’ mixes the classic sound of AOR with balladry and classic rock. A mighty change from everything that’s gone before, feel free to raise your lighters high and sway from side to side. For the albums final song, we find ourselves back in familiar territory, as Tyrant’s Curse return to their signature sound for ‘Fields Of Gold’. Knocking on the door to the genres of epic and glory metal, ‘Fields Of Gold’ adopts a fairly anthemic feel as it strides on to a conclusion.

Overall, a thunderous barrage of heavy/power metal to delight a wide range of metal fans, ‘Modern Babylon’ is a heavy hitting yet highly melodic journey.

TRACKLIST

Ego Shooter
Another Fallen Angel
How To Kill A Lie
Fall Of Icarus
Modern Babylon
Anthem Of The Weak
Evolution Of Progeny
Nightmares
What’s Left Of Me
Fields Of Gold

https://tyrantscurse.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/TyrantsCurse/

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