Certainly an apt album title! Tanith are really going for that “In Another Time” vibe (man…), and there is plenty about their sound that is indeed from another era. They are certainly not your usual Metal Blade type band (a further sign that the label are re-widening their horizons?) and one of the interesting things about the approach of this American based band, is that they are blending styles that actually didn’t particularly happen together back in the day…even though their style is utterly retro.
We’ll start with the music and the obviously 70’s stuff – there’s a slightly trippy psyche attitude (like the central passage in ‘Wing Of The Owl’) incorporating plenty of Blue Oyster Cult, Uriah Heep, and Nazareth, with some progressive early 70’s pre-and-with Schenker UFO that carries nicely into a Thin Lizzy/UFO twin guitar element to enhance proceedings. The nearest current band I can liken them to would be Horisont because like with them there are also touches of NWOBHM – with Tanith it’s Praying Mantis, Demon and some early, pre-Blind Fury, Satan…but we’ll come back to that…
Another difference this band possess is a twin vocal approach with bassist Cindy Maynard doing a fabulous job with the female side, capturing the mood and feel of the time perfectly and guitarist Russ Tippins doing the male vocals. Russ Tippins? “I know that name” a few of you might cry – but aren’t this lot American? Well, it is indeed the British Satan/Pariah guitarist doing his thing State-side while the reformed 1983/84 Satan line-up with Tippins work their magic in the UK. A busy man Mr. Tippins, but that is why he is the first to state that this is a proper band and not his solo project – and that certainly shines through – this is no Satan! If this was Satan, he’d certainly be confused – he’d be both wearing flares AND a denim waistcoat (with patches and no sleeves), and also carrying a bong in one hand and a can of cheap lager in the other. No wonder he’s confused – he’s off his tits…man…
As was never the case back in the day however, that laid-back 70’s vibe wins through the majority of the time, with the riffs and early 80’s touches being used excellently for effect by four musicians who sound like they are totally enjoying their accumulative creative experience (the line-up being expertly completed by guitarist Charles Newton and drummer Keith Robinson). What basically these four have created is something that only really happened very underground, or hardly at all – yet sounds so utterly true and faithful in retrospect! This is an album that has melody, mood, attitude and atmosphere. It is a sound that skips around a 15 year period in the past, alights on what it likes and moves on. And it does it in a way that is interesting and enchanting. It is both immediate and has depth – it is also familiar, yet surprisingly unique!
(7.5/10 Andy Barker)
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