I grew up in an age when heavy metal fragmented and shattered into a myriad of subgenres, each more obscure than the other. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, sometimes what’s required is some old school, undiluted, unabashed heavy metal. That’s where Tyrann step in, a quartet from Stockholm who formed in 2018 and play a brand of metal that’s rooted in the NWOBHM and the sound of Dortmund ‘82. Hard and heavy, yet anthemic and melodic, latest album Tyrann Forever is an authentic slab of metal that will please anyone who has a fondness for bands such as Grim Reaper and Saracen, whilst being strong enough to convert an army of new fans.
If you are new to the delights of Tyrann, then you’ll be bowled over by the riff that introduces opening track ‘Born For Hell’. It has the same stuttering, staccato, feel that characterises ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Smoke On The Water’, and like those tunes it is built for the long haul. Capturing that magical moment in time when the NWOBHM was in its infancy, ‘Born For Hell’ (and, indeed, the whole album) is a full on, foot-on-the-monitor, horns-held-high celebration of heavy metal. And while it does encapsulate the whole aesthetic of a specific period, it also has a timeless quality that, like the aforementioned ‘Iron Man’, will sound fresh many years hence. Having said that, there’s something refreshingly retro about the keys which introduce the title-track that will act as a comfort blanket to ageing metalheads, as will the pounding drums and bombastic basslines. While the eight tracks comprising this album are far from uniform, they’re delivered at a pace that invites headbanging and have a sing-along quality (even if you don’t know the words). However, true to the spirit of the era to which Tyrann alludes, you can hear the roots of speed metal in tracks such as ‘Kom Armageddom’, whilst the genesis of black metal is detectable in the thrashy sections of ‘Demonomania’ (think early Venom). The lyrics are largely delivered in Swedish (with a smattering of English), yet that’s no obstacle to understanding the overall meaning of these songs, and the Swedish tongue, full of harsh constantans and guttural vowels is perfect for this style of metal.
Clocking in at under half-an-hour, Tyrann Forever doesn’t hang around, yet its brevity is also its strength. It’s just long enough to tune you in to the band’s modus operandi, but short enough to leave the listener hungry for more. Tyrann is Forever.
- Tyrann Forever is released via Dying Victims Productions (CD version) / Electric Assault Records (vinyl version) on 29th May 2026.
Track List:
- Born For Hell
- Tyrann Forever
- Demonomania
- Bathory I
- Kom Armageddom
- Nattan Då De Döda Lever
- Allt Ska Brinna
- Bathory II
