Tygers Of Pan Tang - Ambush
Tygers Of Pan Tang
Hard Rock/NWOBHM
11 songs (49:08)
Release year: 0
Reviewed by Stefan
Crap of the month

I was really eager to dig into this one. The Rodney Matthews artwork, the Chris Tsangarides production, it all felt like the real thing. Ok, Tygers of Pan Tang albums (or Robb Weir Band albums as he still is the only remaining member of the Tygers’ glorious years) since their 2001's reformation had been unremarkable to say the least but, hey!, miracles do happen, sometimes… Not this time, obviously.

After a promising start (Keeping Me Alive, even though slightly radio-oriented, sounds quite close to classic ToPT), everything slowly falls apart. Where one would expect the classic assemblage of old-school hard rock and lighter-side NWOBHM, we’re left with rotten remnants from the hair metal/AOR scene.

First problem lies with Italian vocalist Jacopo Meille who has to be the most unremarkable singer I heard in recent years. Ok, he sings in tune (most of the time) but lacks the power and range you’d expect from a recent recruit, what’s more, he does his thing in a fake American accent that, song after song, becomes more and more annoying to the point you want to shove some pizza down his throat to make him stop, already! Yes, it’s that bad…

Then there’s the songs and, oh boy!, are we in for a monotonous ride. The opener, as I’ve already mentioned, is (almost) great, Rock’n’Roll Dream is an energetic old fashioned hard rocker which works nicely, Burning Desire (which reminded me of German band Bonfire) is a well enough crafted power ballad and, finally, Speed (not that speed, though), second overall best track of the album (not hard to achieve), is a wining closer with the Spellbound-years' touch all Tygers of Pan Tang connoisseurs love. That’s 4 out of 11. The rest ranges from Americanized hard rock fillers to the most uninspired and embarrassing song of the year (Man on Fire, a kind of faux Zeppelin that even Great White wouldn’t want as a B’Side).

Am I disappointed? Hell yeah, and I have every reason to be! As it turned out, this Ambush really was one and, thus, carries its name to perfection, you think you’re going to get Crazy Nights, you get Burning in the Shade (actually you don’t, thanks to Chris Tsangarides’ skills, but barely…)! Anyway, trust me, stay away from this one.

Killing Songs :
Keeping Me Alive, Speed
Stefan quoted 30 / 100
Other albums by Tygers Of Pan Tang that we have reviewed:
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Mystical reviewed by Paul and quoted 35 / 100
Tygers Of Pan Tang - Live At Nottingham Rock City reviewed by Paul and quoted no quote
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