Phantom – Tyrants of Wrath
Review by: James Thomas
Review Score: 8
Lineup:
JC Necrohex – Lead Guitar and Vocals
Harel Mortem – Lead Guitar
Rair Tavizon – Bass
JP Alatorre – Drums
What do you get when you mix such potent ingredients as the sounds of Motorhead, Venom, and Vulture and put them all into a blender? It’s an intriguing proposition, to say the least. And if you’re wondering how that might sound when it all comes together, look no further on the calendar than April 25, 2025, and prepare to be unleashed upon by the mighty Phantom! Their latest slab of blackened speed/traditional heavy metal – “Tyrants of Wrath” – is due out on High Roller Records on the aforementioned date. Musically, one might conjure up images most often evoked by power metal – entering a medieval castle with sword drawn, waiting to slay whomever tries to thwart your meeting with the King in his inner chambers. When the vocals kick in, however, the dark and menacing sounds of black metal come roaring into the picture, adding a feeling of dread to the mix. Is your curiosity still piqued? Want to hear more? Let’s dive into the tracks in more detail.
1) Poltergeist
Intro – eerie sound effects kick off the album with an organ playing longingly in the background. This one is clearly here to set the scene for the devastation to come.
2) The Tower of Seth
The second track begins with a nice, heavy intro that builds the anticipation of what is to come. The vocalist lets out a menacing growl as the music picks up speed, and when the song takes off, it is blindingly fast. One can immediately hear the Motorhead influence here – there is a distinct hard rock ‘n’ roll vibe as the song approaches the midway point. The pace slows down a bit, but the song remains heavy, and a solid solo comes into view. As the solo concludes, the original riff begins another build-up, and the song comes to a thundering conclusion. This is a great proper first track and will effortlessly leave you wanting more.
3) Violent Invasion
This one wastes no time in diving into a flurry of blast beats reminiscent of a blackened death metal sound. There is a very early solo that absolutely shines as the highlight of the track. The guitar work, in general, is fantastic here, as the listener is treated to some incredibly fast down-picking – the band lets their thrash leanings come to the forefront in equal parts with the black metal and death metal sounds. There is a lot to sink your teeth into with this track, and it is aptly titled.
4) Thunderbeast
As we move on to “Thunderbeast”, we get a longer track – just over five and a half minutes – and it begins rather innocuously with a fairly straightforward guitar line before giving way to more speed/thrash riffing. There are some gang vocals here that add a nice touch to the song. The great thing about Phantom is that one never knows from song to song which glorious metal ingredient will rule the day, and here, it is speed and thrash! Fittingly, the vocalist lets out some screams that would make Tom Araya proud. As the solo blazes forth, the pace slows somewhat, although double bass drumming continues throughout. This track is a major highlight on the album.
5) Nimbus
Track number five, “Nimbus”, is another one that makes it up over the 5-minute mark, and it begins with another menacing atmosphere, as a slow-building intro comes in, and it is quite effective. The guitars play in somewhat melodic fashion, as the drums play in a mid-paced rhythm. The vocals are notably different in this track – a style best described as a deep croon that wouldn’t be out of place on an epic doom metal album. Standing in stark contrast to the typical vocal style utilized throughout most of the album, it works very well and adds a unique twist as the album approaches the halfway point. The guitar work would make power metal veterans proud.
6) Dance of the Spiders
“Dance of the Spiders” begins with some soft guitar strumming, as a faint echo can be heard. The listener could get the idea that the song is being played in a dark cave in a remote part of the world. As the song picks up steam, the guitar work becomes more furious, and the unclean vocals are back in full force. The lyrics are spewed venomously in rapid-fire style, and musically, blackened death metal vibes pervade. In fact, this track would fit right in on an atmospheric black metal album quite nicely. Another highlight here is the brief but virtuosic solo – something Yngwie might have conjured up. This is a very solid centerpiece in the track listing.
7) Tyrants of Wrath
We now come to the title track, which begins by almost immediately launching into a speedy thrash attack. The band deftly balances multiple extreme metal styles so well that it appears effortless, and this track is no exception. The song does employ a nice change of pace as it progresses, while an interesting spoken word passage can be heard with a female voice. This is a brief section of the song, and a vicious scream emanates as the song comes to an end.
8) Lost in the Sands
The eighth track, “Lost in the Sands”, begins with some furious guitar picking, and the band’s melodic side comes to the forefront musically. The vocalist settles into a deeper death metal delivery for the most part on this track. The chorus sees more gang vocals being used, which adds a great touch to the song. One could easily bring to mind Slayer‘s “Reign in Blood” while listening to this one. Got a hankering for taking a tour of a long-abandoned castle? This song would be a suitable soundtrack for your trek!
9) Nocturnal Opus 666
A soft piano intro sets the mood for the instrumental track, “Nocturnal Opus 666”. The listener may rightly wonder if he or she has stumbled into a classical music performance in a crowded theater. The listener is given this rather brief respite before the album enters its final two tracks.
10) Nazghul
A triumphant but heavy riff ushers in “Nazghul”, as the listener is jolted back to the world of heavy metal, following the preceding piano interlude. This one has the feel of traditional heavy metal for the first minute or so. But did you think it would last? The answer is a resounding “NO”! The track goes into full-on black metal mode as the speed and aggression kick into high gear. Around the midway point, a lightning-fast solo melts the face of the listener, as visions of “Flight of the Bumblebee” can be heard calling out with its approval. The drumming takes center stage here, as it adds a fury to the song that just doesn’t let up. Even an eerie, operatic female vocal line can be heard in the song’s latter half, giving it a nice gothic feel. This one is another major highlight on the album.
11) Dark Wings of Death
This tour de force comes to an end with the album closer, “Dark Wings of Death”. The longest track on the album at more than six and a half minutes, this one has a nice groove to it at the start. However, the speed doesn’t lie dormant for long. A nice passage that allows just the bass and drums to shine can be heard before the vocalist comes in with the familiar venom that accompanies the listener throughout. This track is thrash personified, and it is a truly glorious thing! As the vocalist shrieks “DARK WINGS OF DEATH!”, one can easily picture the mosh pit reaching dangerous levels of brutality. As the song approaches its latter half, another solo that evokes a gothic feel adds a fantastic ingredient to the song. The blast beats are never far away, though, and this incredible album closer leaves the listener wanting more – perhaps the very best thing one could say about an album’s final track.
In conclusion, this album is sure to please fans of all sorts of metal genres – black, speed, thrash, traditional, and even a pinch of power. JC Necrohex and company have served up a platter of fast, adrenaline-inducing tracks that will leave your neck sore, your clothes soaked with sweat, and hundreds more calories burned than you may have intended before you embarked on this listening experience. Whether you’re out cruising on a Saturday night or you’re kicking back after another stressful day at the office, don’t miss this beast of a record – it will cure a lot of ills. And keep an eye out – you never know when you’ll be joined by the presence of a PHANTOM!