Ambush | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 24 September 2012 | |||
Genre | Heavy metal | |||
Length | 49:07 | |||
Label | Rocksector Records | |||
Producer | Chris Tsangarides | |||
Tygers of Pan Tang chronology | ||||
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Ambush is the tenth studio album by British Heavy metal band Tygers of Pan Tang, released on 24 September 2012. A limited edition fan pack was also released (limited to 300) and includes the Ambush cd, Ambush guitar pick, a poster of the original album artwork signed by Rodney Matthews, and a postcard featuring song lyrics. It was housed in a high-quality cd box with a metallic Tygers Of Pan Tang band logo. As an added bonus, each buyer was entered into a free draw with the first 5 winners receiving a signed 12″ vinyl copy from the Spellbound sessions and a signed cymbal from the same sessions. The album was newly remastered and re-released again on digital services, digipack CD, black LP, and orange LP (limited to 500) versions, by Mighty Music, on 18 September 2020; It contains extensive sleeve notes from all of the band members as well as four of the added tracks from the Japan Remastered rerelease, minus the track "Suzie Smiled". [2] This was the first album to be recorded, produced, and engineered by Chris Tsangarides in 31 years. He had last produced their first 2 albums, Wild Cat and Spellbound.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metal Kaoz | [3] |
PlanetMosh | 9/10 [4] |
Metal Rules | 4.0/5 [5] |
MetalCrypt | 4.25/5 [6] |
Metalheads Forever Magazine | 8/10 [7] |
Reception of the album has been positive by both fans and critics. Grigoris Chronis of Metal Kaoz gave a positive review, saying that this is a rocking British Metal songlist with flaming guitars and a general on-the-road atmosphere that resembles the vintage TYGERS OF PAN TANG days, from start to finish. Ending their review by stating that "[Ambush] is the kind of album you will be glad to purchase, if you’re a fan of classic British Rock/Metal. The songwriting is nice, the guitars are blazing, the rhythm section is pounding hard, the vocals are tantalizing in a way and the overall result screams you can’t teach an old dog new tricks." Of Metal Rules, Erich Heintzelman was positive and said how that there are no glaring weaknesses on this album, and that the Guitar solos, rhythms, and arrangements are all of a high caliber. Concluding that while Ambush will not deliver the band to the glory days of yore, "it will lead many an aged metal head to crack a smile, and remember the excitement of those initial NWOBHM days. Incidentally, this album is for those aged fans of Saxon, Toyko Blade, and Angel Witch, but also NWOBHM fans in general."
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Keeping Me Alive" | 5:27 |
2. | "These Eyes" | 4:10 |
3. | "One of a Kind" | 4:14 |
4. | "Rock 'n' Roll Dream" | 4:07 |
5. | "She" | 4:49 |
6. | "Man On Fire" | 4:10 |
7. | "Play To Win" | 4:51 |
8. | "Burning Desire" | 4:56 |
9. | "Hey Suzie" | 4:18 |
10. | "Mr. Indispensable" | 4:23 |
11. | "Speed" | 3:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Cruel Hands of Time" (Studio Outtake) | 4:02 |
13. | "Keeping Me Alive" (Live) | 4:12 |
14. | "These Eyes" (Live) | 5:08 |
15. | "Rock'n'Roll Dream" (Demo) | 4:30 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
16. | "Suzie Smiled" (Live) | 5:53 |
The new wave of British heavy metal was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Editor Alan Lewis coined the term for an article by Geoff Barton in a May 1979 issue of the British music newspaper Sounds to describe the emergence of new heavy metal bands in the mid to late 1970s, during the period of punk rock's decline and the dominance of new wave music.
John James Sykes is an English guitarist, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang. He has also fronted the hard rock group Blue Murder and released several solo albums.
Tygers of Pan Tang are an English heavy metal band who are part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. They formed in 1978 in Whitley Bay, England, and were active until 1987. The band reformed in 1999 and continue to record and perform. The name is derived from Pan Tang, a fictional archipelago in Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné fantasy series whose wizards keep tigers as pets.
Persian Risk are a Welsh heavy metal band from the new wave of British heavy metal era formed in 1979 and hailing from Cardiff, Wales. The brainchild of ex-Stoned Soul Party guitarist Phil Campbell, he recruited vocalist Jon Deverill, second guitarist Dave Bell, bass player Nick Hughes, and drummer Razz. The group was active until 1986. In 2012, the band was re-activated by vocalist Carl Sentance albeit without the involvement of any other past members.
Rodney Matthews is a British illustrator and conceptual designer of fantasy and science-fiction.
Christopher Andrew Tsangarides was a British record producer, sound engineer, and mixer of Greek Cypriot origin. He was best known for his work with many heavy metal artists, including Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Helloween, Anvil, Angra, Anthem, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Tygers of Pan Tang.
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Stephen Dennis Thompson is a British musician, songwriter and record producer who is responsible for a number of single and album chart hits and well known songs recorded by international recording artists. He was instrumental in setting up the influential Neat Records. He was particularly active as a producer during the NWOBHM years. During this time, he produced for many acts and kick-started the careers of several influential heavy metal acts including the first recordings of Newcastle band Venom and Raven who have been credited with being hugely influential by Metallica.
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