Tanith – Voyage
Tanith – Voyage
Metal Blade
Release Date: 21/04/23
Running Time: 44:00
Review by Rory Bentley
9/10
Metal Blade, you’ve bloody done it again! Nearly everything this legendary label sends us seems to be of the absolute highest quality these days, and this joyous slice of throwback Traditional Heavy Metal is no exception. Hot on the heels of producing another superb NWOBHM record in Satan’s “Earth Infernal”, Russ Tippins returns with something that is both more progressive and more punchy than his main band. Now joined by Cindy Maynard on bass and co-lead vocals and Keith Robinson on drums, this power-trio have delivered an album that sounds heart-warmingly retro while adding a modern swagger that puts it in the top tier of NWOTHM bands.
Much will be made of the analogue production on this thing – and with good reason! There is a warmth and clarity to every chord strike and snare hit that feels like being in the room with the band. It perfectly suits these lush, twisting song-structures. Opener ‘Snow Tiger’ has driving acoustic guitars that immediately leap out of the speakers before the widdly main riff comes stomping in to get your pulse racing and caps it off with Cindy and Russ’s exquisite vocal tag team. It’s already apparent that I’m going to need this one on vinyl and the follow up track ‘Falling Wizard’ really drives this point home. This one settles into a more mid-paced hard-rock stomp which allows all the instruments to breathe as Tippin’s exquisite guitar tone holds down the fort while some intricate, playful basslines dance between the crashing chords. The chorus here is a particular standout with both singers weaving in and out of lead and backing vocals to provide a superb hook that puts a big old smile on my face. Ask the photographer at my friend’s wedding last week about how difficult that is!
Speaking of hooks, this is the foundation that makes this one of the easiest high scores I’ve ever given. In order for the analogue approach to be more than just a gimmick, the songwriting needs to be there, and this is something the band absolutely nails. Modern studio trickery can add layer upon layer to mediocre compositions and make them sound more vibrant than they really are, whereas the bare bones approach the band have taken here makes precision and meticulously constructed songwriting a must as there’s nowhere to hide. Whether it be the swirling arpeggios of the Wishbone Ash stylings of ‘Olympus by Dawn’, or the military march of the drums in ‘Architects of Time’ there’s always an interesting part to pull you into the piece, and that’s before the inevitably sparkling chorus kicks in.
The choruses here don’t come much more sparkling than the Melodic Rock masterpiece of “Flame” where Maynard takes the lead before the gorgeous harmonies take over in a song that feels like a forgotten classic from Dio’s early period. It’s relentlessly catchy while still retaining the kind of streetwise grit that makes classic Metal so irresistible. Tobias from Ghost would give his Papal robe to have a melody this massive on the next Ghost album.
But it’s not all stripped down hooks, all three of these musicians have some serious chops and the extensive instrumental sections on the magnificent closer ‘Never Look Back’ offer a fine example of this. Tippin’s guitar solos remind you of the very best bits of Iron Maiden without the latter day bloat, tearing up the fretboard like a young hungry kid but still throwing in some melodic lines I could still hum for you long after this review is published. The psychedelic bass on ‘Seven Moons (Galantia Pt. 2) shows that Maynard is also a master of her instrument and adds even more sonic variety to the surprisingly broad palette of the record.
Out of the blue Tanith have dropped a record in “Voyage” that will almost certainly be nestled up at the business end of my album of the year list in December, and they’ve done it the old-fashioned way – by writing great fucking songs!
‘Snow Tiger’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Snow Tiger
02. Falling Wizard
03. Olympus by Dawn
04. Architects of Time
05. Adrasteia
06. Mother of Exile
07. Seven Moons (Galantia pt. 2)
08. Flame
09. Never Look Back
LINE-UP:
Russ Tippins – Guitars, Vocals
Cindy Maynard – Bass, Vocals
Keith Robinson – Drums
LINKS:
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