Review by Vladimir on December 18, 2023.

Even though I have been a big fan of Enforcer, as well as the other works that include their past members such as Joseph Tholl, Tobias Lindqvist and Adam Zaars, it took me a while until I finally managed to check out their heavy metal band Tyrann, which has been around since 2018. The band has received a respectable status among Swedish and worldwide heavy metal fans, thanks to the very good reputation of their debut full-length album Djävulens Musik from 2021. I'm still feel angry at myself for not checking out Tyrann earlier after being busy with so many other stuff that’s been around this year, however this time I am ready to redeem myself, as today I will be taking a closer look at the band’s second full-length album Besatt, released on June 2nd, 2023 via Electric Assault Records. 

Tyrann’s music is oriented towards a punk/rock ‘n roll oriented heavy metal with catchy riffs, punk rock drumming, along with Steve Harris-like basslines and melodic singing vocals by Tobias Lindqvist. Some songs like the title track 'Besatt' lean more towards a 70’s rock/heavy metal with some melodic guitar work here and there, while also throwing in a punk rock section on the second half to spice things up with some good old-fashioned rock and roll. The seventh track 'Ingen Tid För Oss' also introduces a bit of hard rock/AOR elements with the addition of keyboards and mid-tempo riffing, expressing some emotional moments that lean so much towards 80’s hits by bands such as Journey or Europe, although without sounding like a desperate attempt at commercializing their sound. The lyrics on this album are primarily in Swedish language, however tracks such as 'Face The Tyrant' and 'Ingen Tid För Oss' also contain some lyrics in English but for a brief moment. The songwriting is really energetic and groovy as well, with plenty to enjoy from the rocking riffs to the catchy lyrics with choruses will make your body move, the best example being the opening track 'Transsylvanien' and 'Omen'. There are also examples that lean towards a heavier direction, like the final track 'Rå Energi' which has some tight galloping riffs, and the song title perfectly describes the kind of energy this album radiates. The only downside that I have to this album is that it quickly reaches its conclusion, due to the overall length of each track that brings this album up to a total of 28 minutes and 45 seconds, which despite being longer than the predecessor Djävulens Musik, still made me beg for more. On the positive side, this just proves the fact that the songs are effective in their overall execution by grasping your at most attention and make you even thirstier for a dose of rock and roll. After a long time of listening to Enforcer and being completely mesmerized by Tobias‘s basslines, this time I really began to think that Tobias is also great as a vocalist and I would daresay that he is so incredibly underrated because he can definitely steal the show, especially with Joseph Tholl on backing vocals who amps it up during their live performances. What I liked a lot besides the overall band performance is the sound production which is very organic and top-notch, giving so much space for each instrument to stand out without thinning out the layers too much where it doesn’t feel like it’s hitting the spot. 

Besatt is a straightforward but incredibly enjoyable album that shows just how Tyrann is capable of writing good music without any unnecessary gimmicks or taking themselves way too seriously. Even though I came a bit late on this album, I am still glad that I managed to catch up after all the stuff that has been around this year, and I am certain that many oldschool heavy metal fans dig Besatt just as much as I do. If you still haven’t checked out Besatt or Tyrann in general, I strongly suggest you do, because otherwise you would be missing out on all of these bangers. 

Rating: 8.8 out of 10