Tygers Of Pan Tang - 'Ambush' reissue

(Mighty Music)

When I first discovered Tygers of Pan Tang way back in the Nineties, I wasn’t over awed by them but I did dust of the greatest hits album I had got my mitts on from time to time. So as a fair-weather fan I kept an eye out for the band and their releases, especially as they had such a strong cult following. When I saw them live in the early 2000’s I can’t say I was blown away either, their performance was ok and I knew a few of the songs well enough to enjoy their set but I wasn’t turned into a devotee. Now many die hard Tygers fans will scream blasphemy at me and tell me I need to go back to the classics and revaluate my opinion – but I’m more of a fan of modern day Tygers, the songs, production and even their live performances are so much stronger and appeal to me more so than their heyday albums.

I purchased 2008’s ‘Animal Instinct’ on a whim, enjoyed it more than I thought I would so by the time ‘Ambush’ came out I was first in the queue to get it and this is the album that turned me into a proper fan. Although it’s only eight years old ‘Ambush’ to me is a true Tygers classic album.

It’s an impressively strong album of highly melodic NWOBHM packed to the brim with energy and fist pumping choruses. The hook ridden guitar riffs drive every song and there’s some tremendous guitar work on display which really makes ‘Ambush’ impactful. The smoother vocals from Jacopo Meille make the Tygers far more melodious than other similar sounding NWOBHM bands.

The Tygers have crafted a very commercial flavoured album – don’t get me wrong it’s still full on rock n roll but it’s refined to appeal to a larger audience. Swaggering rocker ‘Man On Fire’ and the anthemic ‘Rock N Roll Dream’ are just two of the highlights.

I don’t think the bonus tracks add any real value to this reissue, completionists will of course need these extras and it’s a nice treat for first time buyers but for me as I already own the album it’s not essential. When it comes to the Tygers I can’t shout about this album enough, if you’re new to the band especially if you like melodic hard rock and NWOBHM you really need to check out this reissue.

8/10

Essential Track - 'Man On Fire'

Review by Woody