After all the good signs shown in the previously released two digital singles, TYGERS OF PAN TANG now release a third song from the new and upcoming album “Bloodlines”. “Back For Good” is the chosen track.
When Jack Meille wrote the lyrics for “Back For Good”, he drew inspiration from a monument to miners in the small town of Featherstone, where he stays on his frequent visits to the UK from Italy. “The lyrics are about miners and their long, endless working shifts in the dark”, Jack says.
New bass player Huw Holding rates it as his favourite song from the new album “Bloodlines”. “When I joined the Tygers I was given a few demo tracks to play along with. “Back For Good” jumped out immediately. I loved the groove, the riffs and the vocal melody”, he concludes.
Robb Weir is never a man to take what he has for granted. Having led Tygers Of Pan Tang since their first album through a number of line-up changes, he recognises that the current Tygers are probably the strongest since when they were at the forefront of the NWOBHM. The original band, who made four albums for MCA Records, survived the unexpected departure of Jess Cox to run Neat Records and later John Sykes, who was bound for Thin Lizzy and a multi-million seller with Whitesnake. What they didn’t survive was their greatest commercial success with the album “The Cage”. However, Weir, ever the optimist, formed a new version of the band to both play the old material and write songs that would represent this ‘new’ Tygers. The backbone of the band – Craig Ellis on drums, together with Jack Meille on vocals, have now been together for considerably longer than the first Tygers and were recently joined by Francesco Marras on guitar, and Huw Holding on bass. Francesco arrived via solo and session work that has made him a go-to guitarist, and Huw has a history of working with NWOBHM bands such as Blitzkrieg, Avenger and Holosade.
Recording an EP (“A New Heartbeat”) to celebrate their re-signing with Mighty Music, the Tygers demonstrated just how potent the new line-up was becoming. Re-recording two songs from their first album to complement the two new songs on the EP gave listeners the chance to evaluate Francesco Marras’ contribution, and the reaction was entirely positive. Following this with a tour that took in six countries across Europe, both Francesco and Huw have been amazed at the reaction to the new line-up. Fans old and new have turned up to lend their support to the continuing story of the Tygers.
Now the band are all set for the release of their new album, “Bloodlines”, a tour de force of what made the NWOBHM such a potent force in music. The songs, all self-penned, successfully demonstrate just how well the core of Weir, Meille and Ellis have blended with the new boys. New Danish producer Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Moonspell, Sick Of It All) has brought a contemporary edge to the traditional Tygers sound and immediately bonded with the band, recognising just what it was they were looking for. Still metal at its core, the melodic vocals and exemplary guitar solos ensure that the songs are worthy rivals to the very best of their back catalogue.
The last word comes from Robb Weir, whose dream created the Tygers back in ’79. “I feel as confident with our new line-up as I did all those years ago when ‘Wildcat’ appeared on the shelves and was given a unanimous thumbs up. Our recent live shows have demonstrated a harmony within the band and, coupled with the quality of ‘Bloodlines’, the potential to create music and perform live shows for some considerable time to come.”
“Bloodlines” will be released on LP (black and red vinyl, with the latter being limited to 500), CD and digital formats via Mighty Music on May 5th, 2023.
