Tantrum – ‘No Place For The Damned’

Ah... Tantrum, I hear you say! The Glasgow-based metal band well known for powerful riffs and rhythms and equally powerful lyrics and themes that often reflect the dark chaos of current times return with their third album, aptly titled ‘No Place For The Damned’, on 30th August 2024. It’s the first album with the current line-up of Mark Reid (vocals), Baz Fitzsimmons (guitar), Micah Snow (guitars), Chris Horne (bass) and latest recruit Mark Riches (drums) and was preceded by an excellent single, ‘The Darkest of Times’, which was released to great acclaim earlier in the year. The single successfully whetted the musical appetite of their fans, with this writer describing it as an “original riff-filled, heavy, frantic metal track with an important and very current social commentary” and “where they’ve been versus where they are now, forging a path for Tantrum’s future and providing a glimpse of what’s to come”. In typical Tantrum style, there’s a few versions of the album in exciting packaging options… but more on that later. Let’s deal with the music first!

Opening track ‘Manifest Destiny’ is the first part of the band’s new ‘Trinity Trilogy’ (pretty much about current threats to the world, I believe), along with a further two tracks (funnily enough!) that appear throughout the album. There’s a classic Iron Maiden sound to the intro with a haunting twin guitar sound that makes way for some frantic metal riffing. It’s an exhausting track, with the pace never slowing and shredding guitar solos throughout as the lyrics tackle the impact of the famous Manhattan Project, the research and development programme that led to the production of the first nuclear weapons. “Science has harnessed the wrath of the sun” and “out of the ashes new powers will rise” warns vocalist Reid. Perhaps the leaders of certain nations should take heed of this, as it’s as valid a warning now as it was in the 1940s!

‘Minotaur’ is like a step back in time, to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement in the 70s/80s… but with a definite modern sheen. If you mixed the brilliance of mid-70s Uriah Heep with the urgency and power of early 1980s Judas Priest, you’d get something that sounds a bit like this superbly catchy track! It’s like early prog-metal and a Hammond Organ wouldn’t have sounded out of place in the mix, meaning it’s a perfect musical match for the theme, which retells the story of the mythical Greek creature with the head of a bull and body of a man (I once knew a guy who had the nickname Minotaur due to his unusual looks and build… but I digress!). If you ever enjoyed listening to the Classical Studies teacher at school (often found wearing plumb Corduroys and a tank top) but also appreciated music classes, then what’s not to like about this song?!

Starting with screeching feedback, W.A.I.L. is a hard rocker with a killer riff and a rhythm section of Horne and Riches that drives the song from start to finish, tackling the ever-current issue of homelessness and the hopelessness felt by those who live on the streets. “When all is lost, I find myself alone between heaven and hell” and “you looked at me like I killed your mother” spits Reid with palpable frustration and venom, as he describes the behaviour many homeless people have to endure, before the guitars of Fitzsimmons and Snow engage in a short but memorable duel. It’s a timely reminder that compassion towards others costs nothing, irrespective of status or creed. As the famous Scottish saying goes, we’re all Jock Tamson’s bairns!

The staccato riffing of ‘The Deepest Line’ is Black Album-era Metallica at its best (with a menacing ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ feel, for fans of that album) and you’ll struggle not to pick up your air guitar and throw your head back in ecstasy during the wonderfully restrained but musically powerful guitar solo.

‘Hellbound Planet’ is the second part of the aforementioned ‘Trinity Trilogy’, this time tackling the ongoing threat of climate change and environmental destruction. It’s another brutal riff-fest of a song, and even as I type this, my feet are pushing an imaginary bass drum pedal as my left-hand snaps down on an invisible snare (with my confused dog thinking that I’m calling him over for a cuddle!). The instrumental section in the bridge reminds me very much of Metallica’s ‘Orion’, and that’s a good thing as it highlights the amazing musicianship within Tantrum. “Fan the flames, fan the flames” shouts Reid, perhaps a double meaning of fanning the actual wildfire flames caused by global warming, as well as fanning the metaphorical flames of the destruction being caused by failing to take action. Either way, I’m more into highlighting the issue of climate change through music like this rather than endangering lives by blocking the M25 or throwing paint over priceless artifacts in museums. But of course, that’s just my opinion! All I ask is that we try playing this song loudly at the next COP environmental meeting of world leaders before ordering more orange paint.

As previously mentioned, ‘The Darkest of Times’ was the first single released from the album, receiving glowing reviews in various music publications and forums. To properly describe this track, I’ll refer to my own review of it from March 2024: “It starts with a ‘scene setting’ classic twin-guitar and drum intro that eventually gives way to the kind of ferocious metal riffing that any of the ‘Big 4’ of thrash would be proud of. The pace is fast and furious throughout, with heavy rhythm guitar riffs complimented by some fantastic shredding lead guitar and a tight rhythm section that drives the tempo like Iron Maiden’s ‘Ed Force One’ Boeing 747 charging down the runway at full speed!” Thematically, it deals with mental health, one of the greatest threats to modern day living and something that still isn’t taken as seriously as it should be, particularly by men.

‘Internal Bleeding’ takes another classic Uriah Heep-style opening riff (believe me, it does!) and turns it upside down into a modern metal anthem, whilst ‘Scarred’, with some amazing bass parts by Horne, tackles the dark and sadly very prevalent theme of suicide. At certain points, this is one of the thrashiest tracks on the album and will leave you breathless by the time it ends, particularly after you’ve headbanged your way through the guitar solo. ‘The Judge’ employs more heavy Metallica-like riffing and a gang vocal in the chorus that will delight live audiences as they sing “I am judge, jury and executioner” as they pump their fists in the air. It’s the type of metal song that every band needs, as it will be an anthem that will form a deep connection between band and fans in a live setting and will surely become a staple in Tantrum’s shows. Brilliant stuff!

‘Traveller’ is the final part of the ‘Trinity Trilogy’, based around the story of a scientist who leaves Earth and heads into space to find a new home for humanity, perhaps because the world has been destroyed by nuclear weapons and climate change, as tackled in the first two songs of the trilogy. However, he finds himself stranded in space for eternity. So, with a space-themed song, it’s apt that there’s a very Rush-inspired sound to the intro… and what better band to channel in such a song than the famous Canadian trio! But that’s where any similarity to Lee, Lifeson and Peart ends, as the track bursts to life with a metal energy that is so powerful, it’ll be felt in… well… space!

The final track of the album, ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, is an eight-minute epic of dark and light and is described by Tantrum as “a heavy metal re-telling of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story”. The intro is atmospheric, the verses menacing, the chorus almighty, the instrumentals impressive. It takes everything that has gone before in the album, puts it in a big musical melting pot, stirs it around with a big musical ladle and pops out one of the most brilliant tracks ever recorded by Tantrum. There’s no better track to end the album than this piece of metal perfection. Wow!

I started this review by bemoaning the poor summer that I’ve had and all the ills and evils of current times. If you’re looking for something uplifting that will make you forget about all the aforementioned issues… then Tantrum’s ‘No Place For The Damned’ simply isn’t for you! You see, it’s this horrible world and all its evils and problems that drives a band like Tantrum. They’re not a country band, singing about days gone by and how the future is rosy from their ivory tower. They’re a metal band, living life in the trenches with the rest of us and seeing what we see on a daily basis. Sadly, that’s rarely love and an equal existence for all. It’s a world full of greed, poverty, lies, mental health issues, homelessness, climate change and the ever-present threat of war that could wipe out life as we know it! Uplifting? No! Reality? Yes! Sometimes, we all need a dose of reality, as it’s only when we navigate through the darkness of reality that we can find the light that hope brings. Tantrum are our guides through the darkness, with lyrics that tackle current themes, no matter how disturbing or difficult to hear, accompanied by powerful, riff-filled music that will blow up your speakers.

Tantrum is a real heavy metal band and ‘No Place For The Damned’ is a heavy metal album for modern times, played as it should be: loud, proud and heavy!

‘No Place for the Damned’ is released on 30th August 2024 and is available exclusively through Tantrum’s own web shop. Various editions of the album are available, including normal CD, special edition ‘Trinity Edition’ CD with additional narrative and atmospheric material and even a book based on the Trinity Trilogy. Check out all available options at www.tantrum.rocks