Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 

Tröjan

The Complete Tröjan & Taliön Recordings – 84 – 90, 5CD Box Set

Review by Gary Hill
This collection of recordings from speed metal band Tröjan is unusual. First, I need to apologize for the cover photo I've used. The one the label used doesn't include the title. It appears that the shape of the packaging makes it very hard to get a square image that includes it, so I took a photo that came as close as possible.

Some of these recordings were done under the name "Tröjan" while others were done as "Taliön." Both are the same band, just alternate names. This music is strong, and it's cool to have a collection of all this music.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.
Track by Track Review
CD 1 – Chasing The Storm
                                
Chasing The Storm
The introduction to this makes it feel like you are starting a space rock album. It's effects laden. They launch out into fierce metal that has plenty of NWOBHM along with some Motörhead in the mix. This is great old school metal.
Tonight We’ve Got It Made
More fierce metal is on the menu here. The guitar soloing on this is absolutely on fire, and the whole song is just really strong.
Only The Strong Survive
The mellow movement that opens this makes me think of Rush (circa Fly By Night era) to a large degree. When it drives in with the metal it's along the lines of Judas Priest. It drops back to the melodic section mid-track and powers back out with more metal fury.
Hypnotized
Furious and driving, this is raw, but also so cool. This thing is pounding and crazed.
Backstabber
This comes in feeling quite a bit like the last track. It gets rebuilt into a more Motörhead like thing as it continues. Yet, there is still plenty of NWOBHM in the mix. There is a dropped back section later that brings some variety, and they fire out into some powerhouse jamming from there.
Icehouse
Raw, fierce thrashy metal is on the menu here. This isn't a huge change, but it is powerful. There are some particularly meaty instrumental sections here.
Take No Prisoners
While this isn't any kind of major change, it's another powerhouse raw metal stomper.
Hot ‘N’ Ready
Fierce metal, this has a great raw NWOBHM sound to it. It's also got a lot of thrash in the mix.
Help Me
While this doesn't really represent any kind of change or variety, the raw, driving metal sounds work well.
Aggressor
There is a mellower, melodic movement to get this going. The thing screams out after that's done in what is the rawest jam here. This is pretty punky. The sound of an explosion is heard at the end.
CD 2 – Capturing The Storm – Live At The Dynamo Club
                               
Backstabber (live)
This definitely sounds like a bootleg recording, but a pretty good one at that. The sound quality is not great, though. The performance is fierce and driving.
Tonight We’ve Got It Made (live)
Another noisy and screaming hot cut, this has so much ferocity.
Only The Strong Survive (live)
Somehow the sound doesn't feel as big an issue on this track. I'm not sure if it actually works better, or if it's just that I'm more used to it by this point. Either way, this powerhouse works better than the two that preceded it on this disc did. The mellower sections are particularly effective here.
Hypnotized (live)
Another fierce metal screamer, the sound isn't a big issue here. This is a powerhouse that's one of the best on this live disc.
Take No Prisoners (live)
The ferocity and intensity continue here. This is another screamer.
Hot ‘N’ Ready(live)
This driving powerhouse works well in this live performance.
Help Me (live)
No big change, this has a lot of energy and fire at its heart here.
Icehouse (live)
The guitar showcase on this is stellar. The whole track works well in this live telling. 
Aggressor (live)
This is mean and suitably aggressive. It's another powerhouse live song.
Chasing The Storm (live)
If you have followed along this far, you have a pretty good idea what this is. It's a scorching hot live performance of the track that opened the first disc. It's also one of my favorites on this second CD.
CD 3 – Killing The World
                               
Killing The World
A more melodic, rather ballad-like approach gets things underway here. While that holds it for a time, this screams out into thrashy fury after a while, really screaming with ferocity. This is very much old school thrash of the highest order.
Sanctuary
Meaty, driving metal that's a bit more on the NWOBHM, power-metal end of the spectrum is on the menu here. This gets thrashy at times. It's another powerhouse.
Living On The Edge
This is another metal stomper that's a bit more on the mainstream NWOBHM side of things. It's has some solid hooks and really rocks.
Speed Thrills
With a start and stop thing at the beginning, this is a little tentative at first. It powers out into some frantic (you had to figure it would given the title, right) jamming that is part power metal and part thrash. This instrumental is a screamer with some amazing instrumental work.
Laws Of Retaliation
There is so much drama and musical magic built into the driving jamming as this gets under way. The beefy jam later in the track is so cool.
Screamin’ For Mercy
Melodic metal gets things going here. The track builds out from there to some seriously dramatic screaming metal. This thrashy, stomper might be my favorite piece of this third disc. The instrumental section later gets positively insane.
Premonition
Fierce and frantic, this is both raw and meaty. It's a screaming hot powerhouse with some positively incendiary guitar work. There is a weird dropped back section with almost demonic vocals. This is a smoking hot metal song that makes for a great closing shot on disc three of the set.
CD 4 – Live In Bulgaria, and Demos
              
Killing The World (live)
Weird musical concepts and some demonic spoken vocals make up the stage opening here. After that runs through, the band are introduced and fire out into some driving metal to get things going.
Sanctuary (live)
If anything, I'd say that this works better than the previous cut did. This live take is definitely even stronger than the studio version. In fact, this live recording is one of my favorite tracks on the whole set.
The Punishment Befits The Crime (live)
There is a fairly long drum solo at the beginning of this. This screamer really is furious and raw. I don't think it works as well as some of the rest, though.
Living On The Edge (live)
This works better. It has some almost mainstream rock hooks, but also plenty of screaming metal in the mix.
Screamin’ For Mercy (live)
More driving live metal is on the menu here. This is another powerhouse. It's not my favorite thing here, but it works well.
Killing The World (demo)
This sounds pretty darned good for a demo. In fact, I think I like this version as much as I like the final version on the album. There is a great raw energy and honesty about it.
Living On The Edge (demo)
Another screaming hot demo. This also rivals the final version.
Sanctuary (demo)
You get the idea of what this is. I think this holds up pretty well against the other recording, too.
Screamin’ For Mercy (demo)
After the intricate opening section, this turns positively mean and scorching hot. I prefer the final version, but this works well, too.
CD 5 – Tröjan Demos
                           
Chasing The Storm (demo)
The sounds of a storm start this. They launch out into frantic and raw metal from there.
Tonight We’ve Got It Made (demo)
This feels less polished. It leans a little more toward a punk angle.
Only The Strong Survive (demo)
The recording on this is particularly raw. The song has a lot of driving energy and a real punky sound.
Hypnotized (demo)
This one is very rough. I don't think I'll listen to this one more than once. The bass work and guitar soloing are cool, though.
Backstabber (demo)
Definitely a step up from the previous track, this rocker works pretty well here.
Icehouse (demo)
This one works very well in this demo version. There is something about the less polished approach that suits the track. I really love the guitar soloing, too.
Hot ‘N’ Ready (demo)
The bass is on fire on this thing. It's a raw, pretty basic, but also effective, screamer.
Help Me (demo)
This makes me think of early Iron Maiden in some ways. It's another strong demo. It does have some raw angles to it.
Aggressor (demo)
I like the contrast between the opening melodic section and the raw main song. This is another that has a lot of rough edges, but still excels.
Bring On The Night (demo)
Not a big change, this is another rough-around the edges powerhouse.
Young Wild Fast ‘N’ Free (demo)
I really love the guitar riffing that gets this going. The sound on this has a rising and falling defect that detracts from the experience to some degree.
Backstabber (demo version 2)
Driving in with style on the introduction, this is really effective as it gets going. The song proper stuffers a little from the recording, but overall this works pretty well.
Icehouse (demo version 2)
This raw and rocking version of the song is solid.

 
Return
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com