Album Review: TYMO – The Art of A Maniac
Reviewed by Paul Hitchings
If you want uncompromising thrash metal with the edge of the likes of Municipal Waste, look no further than Canadian thrashers TYMO. Their third full-length release crashes in like a T-Rex on steroids, careering all over the place and barely in control of all its limbs. Let’s be fair, this powerhouse quartet steamroller with absolutely no consideration of anything in its way.
The album pushes the pace from the raging instrumental ‘Tymonicide’, a great way to warm the listener up for what is about to come. Think ‘Into the Lungs of Hell’ by Megadeth and you’ll have an inkling of what this is like. The musicianship is sharp and on point. ‘Tymonicide’ leads directly into ‘Sanity Clause’, first released a single over two years ago. It’s a snarling, pit bull of a track, contemplating the subject of suicide and ending up in hell, only to repeat the experience over and over. It’s relentless in pace, with a ferocity that will warm even the most elusive thrasher.
At 32 minutes the album isn’t a long and consequently, TYMO pour everything into their music. It’s a runaway train with no brakes, as the explosive and furious ‘Mars Attacks’ which unsurprisingly is based on the film and book of the same name. It’s a theme of TYMO’s writing that many of the songs here are based on science fiction, with aliens, destruction and Rick & Morty forming the core of their subject matter.
Frontman and guitarist Tim Tymo brings exactly the right amount of grit to his vocals, allowing enunciation to enable the listener to make out the lyrics but still retaining a gnarly delivery which fits ideally with the band’s overall ballistic approach. The twin guitar delivery enables screaming solos to soar and dive like falcons, whilst the engine room of bassist Harlen Jacobs and drummer Marc Durie are locked in tight. The inclusion of all four members on backing vocals brings that classic Bay Area vibe to the songs which is another strength of the release.
‘Age of Deception’ looks at social media abuse, and brings a melodic, groove feel, with some bluesy guitar solos to add a bit of breadth. But don’t worry, it remains a feral beast with a sharp undercurrent. After all the maniacal fast paced music, ‘War Beneath the Skull’ demonstrates that TYMO can slow the pace ever so slightly, with the topic of mental health the main theme. It’s a little disjointed in comparison to the more straightforward thrashers here but it brings a nice change of tempo and direction; there’s a little bit of a Machine Head vibe going on here as well.
Overall, ‘The Art of a Maniac’ is an aggressive, full-on thrash record that stands solidly as a sophomore release. Jagged, thick riffage dominates but not to the detriment of the other elements. If you like your thrash violent and fun, TYMO should be a band you check out.
