“It all started in February 2014 when guitarist Munoz was in the Andes. His car broke down along the Los Libertadores and help was far away. Out of nothing came Nauhel, an Indian from the Mapuche tribe in Chile.
Nauhel invited Munoz to his camp and insisted that Munoz stayed overnight. It turned out that Nauhel was a musician in traditional Mapuche music, and Munoz had 20 drafts to what once would become Tirades’ debut album. Munoz and Nauhel exchanged musical ideas throughout that night as the moths danced around the bonfire. Nauhel gave Munoz the name “Pülü”, meaning insect in Mapuche, to commemorate the moths who kept them company through the night. This night caused all other musical projects to be set to side, and Tirades became the main priority from here on out.”
That is the background to a band which unleashed one of last year’s unexpected and seriously exciting roars in the shape of Lifetime of Wars. A slow start release wise to a new year always allows for a catch-up of propositions that initially escaped but deserve attention and without doubt the first album from Norwegian hardcore protagonists Tirades qualify. Whatever its origins and seeds, Lifetime of Wars is a glorious and challenging slab of rock ‘n’ roll which rousingly embraces a web of noise and punk fuelled flavours driven by imagination stirring adventure.
The September of 2014 saw Bergen hailing Tirades enter into the recording of their album with producer Andrew Neufeld (Comeback Kid). Alongside guitarist/vocalist Esteban Munoz, also the drummer of Social Suicide, stood bassist/vocalist Remi Arefjord also of Jeroan Drive and guitarist in Social Suicide, Of Grace and Hatred drummer Mathias Simonsen, and guitarist/vocalist Markus Den Ouden from Blodig Alvor. Together they have created a confrontation as sonically intrusive and emotionally cantankerous as it is anthemically and energetically inspiring. Released in the latter moments of last year through Fight! Records, the punk ‘n’ roll blaze is an immediate contagion drawing, as mentioned, on varied spices of metal and punk driven rock ‘n’ roll to brawl and stomp with the listener.
Fear The Saviour is the first potent incitement, the opener springing from a suggestive guitar spun invitation into a predatory stalking of the senses with beats and bass leading the way. Tribal spicing colours Den Ouden’s bait whilst the bass of Arefjord has a carnivorous tone to its snarl, both tempered by the ethereal vocals and wiry enterprise of guitar. Electro spicing equally adds more drama and texture to the post punk scented introduction, the song playing like a blend of Morkobot and Tones on Tail as it leads ear and an instantly awoken appetite towards the bracing confrontational tempest of Death Bell. Smothering ears in thumping beats and sonic provocation from its first breath as vocals challenge, the track swiftly has body and emotions aflame with its rousing and contagious canter. Subsequent clean vocal chants and the ever primal tone of the bass only add to the lure of the rousing seduction, the song twisting into the infection loaded hardcore and corrosive rock ‘n’ roll which fellow Norwegians Shevils are as equally adept at unleashing, they the closest comparison coming to mind for the uniqueness of Tirades.
The exhilarating stirring of the passions makes way for the more barbarous riot of Ghost, though it too is soon evolving within ears as the band explore fresh hues and resourcefulness employing varied styles. Far too short for personal greed, the track gives way to Sleepless. Featuring Kvelertak guitarist Maciek Ofstad, the track evokes defiant attitudes with its aggressive bawl of sound and voice, only adding to the chest beating potency with catchy moments of clean vocal led incitement. As its predecessor, a major highlight is uncaged, a song which is as imaginatively unpredictable and addictively alluring as it is fiercely exhaustive and more than matched by the exceptional Precious Demon which flows out of its tail blast. Further invigorated by Social Suicide vocalist Marius Jahnsen and Tarjei Strøm, another maelstrom of invention and noise rabidity descends upon and swallows the senses, it too inciting lusty involvement with its caustic collusion of diverse textures and punk rock aggravation.
There is a touch of NVRVD and Bear to the track whilst in its successor Relignorance a spatter of The Great Sabatini teases as it’s more restrained hardcore hostility allows vocal melodies and noise rock tendrils to captivate from within the fierce romancing and subsequent haunting atmospherics unleashed. Volatility is as much a constant in a Tirades song as attitude and ferocity and the track embraces all within its compelling design before Reach Victory batters forcibly on ears and in turn Skin scorches the sense with its sonic toxicity and ravenous intensity. The first of the pair is an abrasive bellow with its own line in dynamic rhythms and agreeably searing hooks matched to the constantly anthemic vocals whilst its successor is an emprise of punk belligerence and feverish imagination drawing on another diverse range of metal, heavy rock, and blissful noise
False Prophets keeps the fires of satisfaction burning forcibly next, its skilled merger of contrasts and addiction forging ingenuity making the appetite greedy whilst immediately after Never Again grumbles and rumbles like a bear with a sore head; one wanting to tear apart the body and dance with the skeletal remains. It is hard to remember in recent times a crushing destructive protagonist as virulently catchy and irresistible as the superb song, though within the album it is just one of a band of demandingly contagious and rabidly inventive trespasses.
The album is completed by the acoustic croon of 1996, an evocative piece of stringed and acoustic expression shaped by voice and emotion which only impresses but still pales against the sheer magnificence of what came before. A bonus remix by Ralph Myerz also adds to the thick enjoyment of Lifetime of Wars, an album which hopefully is the first of many given the other commitments of its creators.
In a recent review we remarked on the pinnacle 2015 ended on in the number of seriously striking releases unveiled. Tirades are another one in the list, maybe the very best of that moment and in the cream thrilling the whole year.
Lifetime of Wars is out now via Fight! Records through most online stores.
https://www.facebook.com/tiradesofficial
Pete RingMaster 08/01/2016
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
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The album’s title track slips in next, Flood providing a low key magnetic croon with drama waiting and building in its wings as flirtatious rhythms and a suggestive atmosphere infuse its walls. Things never reach the level of exploding but persistently shadow and add endearing shade to the mesmeric call of the song before it makes way for the outstanding
Bring You Down opens things up, the song a strenuous wall of riffs and rhythms swiftly entwined in wiry sonic enterprise and vocal expression. Its intensity and power is a commanding and forceful wind but still allowing room for the melodic prowess and inventive weave of heavy rock and steely metal textures to make their persuasion. A Gravity Kills feel with a fierce fire to it graces the seriously engaging mix as vocals seduce and roar to match the journey of the music across the impressing start to Remedy. It is a potent persuasion continuing with Consequence. The scent of Nine Inch Nails hinted at in the first is a stronger flavouring to the second song, but equally there is an element of UK band MiXE1 and Deftones at play too as it reveals its own distinctive tapestry of searing sonic endeavour and electronic exploration.