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EP REVIEW: Mechanic Tyrants – Torpëdo

German speed metallers TORPËDO are back with a re-issue of their 2019 debut demo Mechanical Tyrants; five feisty, energetic tracks complete with new cover art created by vocalist Flo Fait. The title Mechanic Tyrants is inspired by the Terminator movies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the theme of man versus machine perfectly fitting the band’s razor-sharp cross of vintage speed metal and NWOBHM.

Originally formed in November 2018 as a side-project with the goal of mainly covering old-school metal songs, guitarist Alex Starbreaker reused the name TORPËDO from a band he was in that hadn’t worked out a few years back. Flo Fait (vocals/guitars), Danny Keck (bass) and Phil Srešý (drums) joined him to create the new TORPËDO. According to Keck, the name is “simple, easy to remember, made of metal, stuffed with explosives and brings destruction.” That it certainly is. 

TORPËDO improvised the music and wrote the lyrics to several of Mechanic Tyrants songs while they were recording to add to its raw and natural feel. Initially released in June 2019, the reaction from the Metropolregion Nürnberg metal scene was immediate: The first pressing of Mechanic Tyrants sold out immediately, prompting Gates Of Hell Records to re-release it for the rest of the world.

The demo starts with Maniac, a track which demonstrates right from the outset what you are getting with TORPËDO; pure, adrenaline-fuelled speed metal. The track starts with a simple chugging intro riff complemented by smashing percussion before vocalist Fait comes in with his gravelly old school vocals. His rough, almost slurred vocal style means you can’t help but compare TORPËDO to early MÖTORHEAD

There is DIY, then there is TORPËDO DIY. The band wrote, recorded, mixed and mastered Mechanic Tyrants entirely in their basement, without a producer or engineer. To say that you couldn’t tell this was a DIY demo would be an outright lie, the tracks are rough around the edges and sometimes the percussion is a little unbalanced and brazen, but it certainly provides that raw old school charm that makes it sound like it’s from 1985 instead of from 2019.

The title track Mechanic Tyrants slows things down initially with a staggered intro riff followed by a dramatic change of pace midway through which creates a thrashing second half of the song. A common feature of this demo is short, punchy choruses, perfectly designed for fans to belt out at a show. Vocalist Fait displays more of his skillset in this track, his gravelly vocals this time interspersed with powerful old school metal shrieks. 

Victim of Desire kicks things off with a solid drum intro and a powerful scream. This time you can hear slightly bluesier riffs combined with fast-paced percussion and rough vocals, again recalling MÖTORHEAD. Impressive guitar and bass fills provide variety in this track and make for a unique song reminiscent of bands like Raven. Sons of Evil takes things down a notch speedwise for a more laidback and NWOBHM style track, but provides a whole lot more attitude to make up for this. Without just raw aggression fuelling the song, the riffs are carefully selected and the music flows well, creating a track which wouldn’t sound out on of place on a ‘best of the 80s’ record. If you’ve ever wondered what ANTHRAX would sound like if they were a whole lot sexier, Sons of Evil will answer that question.

Living true to the genre’s name, TORPËDO don’t let things slow down for too long and Wrath of God brings things back up to speed, ending the demo on a fast-paced, energetic track true to the core of what TORPËDO are. An upbeat, catchy riff from the outset combined with rapid drum beats and paradiddles shows you what to expect. With a sound reminiscent of the likes of early EXCITER, the aggressive instrumental style complemented with metal screams adds the perfect finishing touch to the track.

A straight-up care free speed metal release that does exactly what it says on the tin, if you’re a fan of NWOBHM that is rough around the edges and like your metal with a lot of attitude and raw old school charm, check out TORPËDO.

Rating: 7/10

Mechanic Tyrants is out now via Gates of Hell Records.

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