Labels: Utarid
Review by: Oli Saunders
Holy shit I have not reviewed a record for 6 months! I meant to write reviews pretty frequently for CZ when I first decided to, but things have not gone as planned. From now on I will write them frequently and they will slowly become less shit.
Onto the review! I am a massive fan of the recent explosion of Malaysian screamo and here is another band right up my street. This is a demo release on the awesome Utarid tapes, a label that releases records on tapes with handmade covers. This tape comes in a black stencilled cardboard box, with a patch and an insert. It’s got a great DIY feel, you’ve heard that sort of thing before but it’s true!
Tyrant play three songs on it that last just over a minute each. They are sandwiched between two interlude tracks which have strange background noises in. The first is a feedback noise of some kind I guess, the second sounds like someone has a small microphone in their pocket and is walking around.
The songs themselves, it has to be said, are a screamo sound not unlike other Malaysian screamo bands. This sound is not a complete destruction like the Witching Hour bands used to have, but it’s very much along those lines. A bit less intense and slower but with the all the main ingredients. All in all, the Malaysian screamo sound has many influences from bands from yesteryear and in my opinion works really well. Tyrant are using the basis and doing their own thing with it to great effect. High pitched shrieking of fairly abstract lyrics, matched closely in rhythm by distorted chords on the guitar and kept in check by the bass and drums
Overall, the demo is short and sweet and I look forward to hearing more from this band. They are planning a split with Liberdade Após a Raiva from Brazil and, erm, I may be helping them to release something too!
4th October 2008