Tigertailz – Blast (Album Review)

Album Review: Tigertailz Blast

Release Date: April 15-2016

Back in the late 80’s, I was in high school and like most high schoolers you gravitate toward like-minded people and that is the cafeteria table you sit at. The boys you hang out with. There was “the metal table” and while I had friends there I was the outcast because I enjoyed glam metal as well as the much heavier stuff. I could listen to both. These guys couldn’t get into the glam/lighter side of metal; other than one band and this was Tigertailz that everyone seemed to be hooked on. This was our common ground, although I still took much flak for my other accompaniments of genre. So I mostly hung around the Italian table and played Scopa and shared great food! Grazie Ragazzi!

Here we are in 2016. 10 years has passed since the most recent full-length studio release from Tigertailz. That has been a long 10 years, although we have been given tidbits here and there in between of some very fine sounds! The band returns and seems stronger than ever on every level in which they represent themselves. They provide flashy, fun, glam and Sweet style guitar-driven anthemic music to a scene that is sorely lacking. Although with this release, and some others I am becoming more optimistic in some time that we have ourselves some summer rock n roll music. To which I have hope will sustain us through a potential Long Cold Winter (pun intended). Having already heard, “Pipped it Popped it”, I have been very excited and eagerly awaiting the entire release of songs.

I recently interviewed Tigertailz which you can check out here: Tigertailz Speaks to Decibel Geek

Here are my thoughts on Blast:

“Just For One Night”: Starts with an Asian sound and then oh wow this is how to begin a record. Crunching guitars and a solid clean melodic vocal. You have my attention. This is pure and pleasurable solid rock n’ roll music. It is not rocket science, take what worked in the beginning, for those of you that are not sure when that was look up Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly and mix it with the 70’s influence of UK glam rock. A baby born from these 2 eras and styles is as close to perfect for my ears.

“All the Girls in the World”: A solid second song. Can I place my vote for release of the year? I can envision this will be spinning all summer. This is a warm weather summer fun soundtrack. Come November I will move to the Southern Hemisphere to keep it going.

“Pipped it Popped it”: Hook, line, and sinker. When I heard this around January of this year I flipped out. I couldn’t believe how good this sounds. This was rejected by Eurovision? Their loss. Check out the video as well, pure image and sound.

“Bop Bop You”: As soon as it begins, I was hearing an up tempo of “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones which is one of my favourite songs. The similarity ends after the initial chords and this is still a very fun and good song. Once again the chorus is killer clean. The whammy bar still sounds great to me!

“In The Arms of Mary”: Time to slow it down. Acoustic and keys. Jay Pepper on vocals and he has a wicked and haunting way behind the mic that match the lyrics perfectly. I like it! It is not your standard formulaic glam ballad. If anything I would compare this to the acoustic stuff W.A.S.P. would do, and I liked that too.

“Bloodsuckers”: a 30-second intro giving us the all clear and then we are back into up-tempo guitars and seemingly the fastest song on the release. This one is fairly generic for me, not great not bad.

“Dynamite”: This is a cover of the classic MUD song and they do it extremely well. We are back to super strong chorus maximum glitter glam. Love this song! Check out the video as well.

“Bring it On”: For those of you that peg Tigertailz as glam only, this is the sound and the why the metal table boys would listen. They can and will heavy it up at will. What keeps me around is the strong chorus and melody is not sacrificed. I think the sequence of the previous song and then this complements very well.

“Crime Against Rock And Roll”: Unless I am missing some liner notes Rob’s vocals are in a different range here, sounding just as good. More along the lines of generic rocker. Folks we are 9 songs in and I would still not call this filler. When I say generic it is still better than most I have heard from other bands in a decade.

“God’s Country”: Track 10, solid as all heck! What a start to a song, so very melodic, this is an anthem, specifically at the 3:00-minute mark during the breakdown.

“Cheap Talk”: According to my notes, this is a revamped version of a song from back in the day. There is a demo version of this on Youtube. Not too different either way. Good song.

“FnA”: Well this pretty much sums it up for me and describes the release of 12 very fine songs. Me and my potty mouth! Love the crunching galloping guitar.

Tracks to try: Try it all!