ALBUM REVIEW: Tymo call forth to Purge and Reset

4th August 20183rd August 2018 admin

Canadian thrashers Tymo released their second full length album, “Purge & Reset” in August 2017.

Thrash is a genre with limitations. It’s got a very specific sound and any deviation from the norm is generally not accepted. This can make it difficult to sound fresh and unique in the genre. I felt that Purge & Reset did a reasonably good job of achieving that. It’s most definitely a thrash album, the tropes, both good and bad, are there. But it also has an energy and a style that sets it apart.

The album opens with “All Looks Alive… In the Dark!”. The song opens with arpeggio guitar playing. It’s moody and foreboding, and it sounds sinister. Before long the song breaks to sharp, jagged metallic guitar riffs. It’s fast and it’s raw.

I found the whole album to have an incredibly angry, primal kind of energy fuelling it. This opening song sums up that feeling pretty well. Another element that gives this impression is the backing vocals. For more or less the entire album, the backing vocals are essentially backing screams. I’m sure I’m heard this done before, but I can’t recall at time that this style of backing vocals was carried out so well. It really evokes an emotion and a sentiment that flows through album. It’s ultimately a small detail, but it really added a lot to the sound as a whole. It’s also something that helps to set Tymo apart from the mess of cookie-cutter thrash bands out there.

Next up is “Killer Krom” and the titular “Purge & Reset”. The former a rapid, grinding, almost punk song. Again, the energy is crucial to the sound, and the riffs are strong enough to provide a sufficient reason to headbang.

The latter is a more laidback track with much more groove than the previous songs. I mentioned the backing vocals earlier, but it’s worth noting that the very much Hetfield-esque lead vocals are also very strong and are well utilised on both of these songs.

The largely instrumental “Flames to Frost” rounds off the first half of the album. It starts off particularly Iron Maideny but eventually deviates into a range of different styles. It’s a good showcase for the technical ability of the band. The riffs are intricate, impressive and most importantly enjoyable. There’s good interplay between the different instruments and the consistently shifting dynamics keep it interesting throughout.

“Evolved From You” is, to be blunt, an average metal song with overly macho lyrics that sound a bit cringeworthy. There’s probably some good stuff going on in this song, but it’s difficult to focus on it when you’re distracted by such poetry as “A professional bridge burner that you are / Making up for your lack of balls” (I wanted to use a different example, but that is literally the only part of the song that doesn’t use swear words). It’s the only real low point on the album for me, but it was most definitely a low point.

“Intent Comes to Shove” has a kind of punky vibe and it adds some more intricacies in terms of rhythm, there’s a nice hooky chorus as well.

“We The Pawns” opens with a syncopated, stabby guitar riff, then folds into a speedy, driving metal anthem.

The closer, “Above This Storm”, is a bouncy, riff-heavy song that does a good job of wrapping the album up. The trademark ferocity and anger is retained, along with everything else good about the album up to this point. Solid closer to a solid album.

Overall, “Purge & Reset” is an exceedingly good genre piece. I appreciated the backing vocals and how they added flavour to the sound. The guitar playing is excellent, particularly the solos, but the riffs are ultimately familiar and predictable (not necessarily a bad thing). I’d highly recommend it to a Metallica or Megadeth fan, even a Maiden fan.

Track Listing:
1.All Looks Alive…In The Dark! (3:41)
2.Killer Krom (3:04)
3.Purge & Reset (4:14)
4.Flames To Frost (Instrumental) (4:22)
5.Evolved From You (2:41)
6.Intent Comes To Shove (3:39)
7.We The Pawns (3:22)
8.Above This Storm (3:34)
Album Length: 28:41