Tyrant: Legions of the Dead (1985)

I have covered Tyrant somewhat recently.  At least I know I have in the last year or so.  That album was their 1987 underrated classic Too Late to Pray, which was the band's second album.  It was also their last album before reuniting a decade later.  I guess it is time to get a look at their debut and see how it measures up.

Tyrant unfortunately did not last terribly long.  They released just two albums, split up, got back together a decade later to release another album and have been quiet since.  That is a shame since they had a sound that fit in really well with the metal scene at the time.  And no, I am not referring to the hair bands.  They have a sound not unlike groups like Omen, true heavy metal bands with melody and power. 

This album does not quite match up to their second album, it finds a band still working on finding their sound.  As a result it is a little bit more of a derivative album, sounding very much like the band's influences in the NWOBHM and, a lot of Judas Priest.  Vocalist Glen May has that soaring howl that Rob Halford is renowned for down pat.  There are hints of the darker, more malevolent sound that they would later have, particularly on the climax of "The Battle of Armageddon", but these moments, while tantalizing, are fleeting.

This album does not really do enough to stand out, but it does provide an interesting preview of what Tyrant would later be capable of performing.  It is a good example of true 1980's American metal.  But Tyrant would do much better things later.  Their second album is much better, but this is a good album nonetheless.