matrixgrindhouse said:
First album released in 1985. Second one is currently in the works. That's gotta be some kind of record. Pun intended.
Finally got my copy of the second album in the mail! The lack of a digital download release is, if nothing else, another reminder of the era they're harkening back to with Justice: Served!. So. Thirty-two years. Only one original member left, on bass. So - why does it sound so
great? Seriously, if it had been promoted as a lost contemporary followup album featuring only a change to the vocalist(s), I'd have believed it. The synths even sound like they're from the same keyboard. This is a NWOBHM album propelled into the future. It's a worthy followup. Style's got a nice amount of variety, like the original - from classic hard rocking to melodic heavyness, to acoustic ballads. None of it sucks. They never reach the same highs as the original's
The Watcher, but it never descends into the abject filler of
The Ballad of Edward Case, either. There is a little filler, though. "Forever Gone" is a repeat from the original, albeit with the new lineup. It's a good cover (does it even count as a cover?), but I feel like that should have been relegated to being a bonus track, possibly of the live variety, and replaced with more original material. "Worthy of Honour" initially comes across as an overly saccharine ballad, but just wait 'till the electric guitars kick in! Mid-track redemption! Billy Who is an instrumental piece - enjoyable, but kinda forgettable. Your mileage may vary, of course.
All in all, I'm quite surprised. I knew I'd like it, but I didn't expect to love it. I hope to hear more from the revived Tyran, ideally in fewer than three decades. Recommended.