Tyrants Of Chaos are a heavy metal band from Canada formed in 2013 by guitarist Curtiss Vaselenak. The band has released three albums to date – ‘The Calm Before The Storm’ (2016), ‘…Into Oblivion’ (2019), and ‘Relentless Thirst For Power’, released in 2022.
If you’re a fan of legendary bands Saxon, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, then Canadian metallers Tyrants Of Chaos are right up your alley. The band’s brand of heavy metal is a relentless and hard-driving style that keeps alive the aura of an era of metal that is considered by many to be the best – the glorious eighties! Ten songs of unabashed heavy metal open with the rallying call of “with metal, we’ll set the world on fire”. And to be honest – I believe ’em! Album opener ‘T.O.C.’, is a rabble-rousing call to arms anthem that every metal fan everywhere can get behind – the band delivering an anthemic scorcher of an opener! Chugging with thunder, ‘T.O.C.’ is infectious, generating smiles a mile wide, and raising fists high in the air.
A punchy start to the band’s new album, adds even more punch with the harder-hitting ‘The Black Gap’, emulating the sound of the iconic NWOBHM perfectly. Tyrants Of Chaos may be over three and a half thousand miles away from the UK where this style of metal was born, but boy do they know how to replicate it! Old school metallers everywhere are gonna be delighted. Picking up the tempo and injecting even more energy, the album rolls on with the heavier ‘Mourning Sickness’, a thunderous romp of raw heavy metal. Featuring a more in-your-face attitude than the opening double, ‘Mourning Sickness’ also features a snarling chorus break with aggressive vocals. The band shows diversity from the off – ‘Skull Crusher’ picking up the pace to become the fastest song heard so far. And the most melodious too! And with the famous ‘Maiden-Esque gallop, ‘Skull Crusher’ plant’s feet firmly on the monitor. Old school traditional heavy metal at its best.
Maintaining the strong old-school flavor the album began with, ‘Slay The Hostages’ keeps the pedal to the metal, thundering forth with mild aggression and snarling vocals. Yet somehow, Tyrants Of Chaos retain a strong melodious intent that keeps the album infectious and highly addictive. ‘Relentless Thirst For Power’ is turning out to be one of those albums that you turn the volume up with every new song that passes! And with a more polished guitar-led feel, ‘Red Rage’ returns the anthemic rush from earlier. The classic sound of traditional heavy metal filling the air like smoke from a fire – the band is definitely on fire! Without dropping the intensity or oomph of the album, Tyrants Of Chaos march on with the mid-tempo majesty of ‘Nightmare Machine’ – mid-tempo for the first minute at least! And then ‘Nightmare Machine’ becomes a tempo-changing wander across the entire genre of heavy metal – the band maintaining their excellent diversity drive.
The band’s NWOBHM influence is incredible – none more so than the guitar sound to ‘Indoctri-Nation’ – the guitars featuring the classic buzz from an era of great evolution and design for heavy metal. The infectious level has been sky high since the album began, with ‘No Lives Matter’ keeping it above the clouds with an intense hymn-like nature – blending anthemic nuances with the song’s majestic mid-tempo stroll. I’ve already mentioned it twice, so for a third time, the diversity shown across the entire album is top-notch. An album that is brought to a close with the red hot scorcher ‘Lucky Dog’ – and probably the most melodic of all songs on offer. The infectious level is off the fucking charts, ‘Lucky Dog’ also features a cracking sing-a-long style chorus. What a glorious end to a very good album.
Overall, a thunderous ten-song onslaught featuring the classic sound of traditional heavy metal.
TRACKLIST
T.O.C.
The Black Gap
Mourning Sickness
Skull Crusher
Slay The Hostages
Red Rage
Nightmare Machine
Indoctri-Nation
No Lives Matter
Lucky Dog
Tyrants Of Chaos: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Canada
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
