What is it that makes a supergroup “super”? Well, by definition, the group must feature members already known for their work in past acts. Of course, this terminology has been stretched to its furthest limits over the years, but if we’re looking strictly within the confines of underground U.S. metal, Bygone are indeed a supergroup. This retro-oriented sextet features members who have played in acts such as Genocide Pact, Red Death (R.I.P.), Magic Circle (BIG R.I.P.), Concilium, and Blazon Rite, just to name a few. That’s quite the vast array of sounds, from hardcore-tinged death and mystical doom, to punishing crossover and valorous epic metal. Where the hell does Bygone fall on such a wide spectrum? Shockingly, nowhere remotely near the aforementioned.
In what has been a banner year for bands doing the “’70s hard rock meets early ’80s NWOBHM” thing (i.e. Phantom Spell, Mausoleum Gate, Wucan), Bygone seamlessly sneak into the party with their eponymous debut full length: A 7 song old school metal head-trip that plays like a lost Thin Lizzy album circa ’82. For context, think, if you will, back to the era of Chinatown (1980) and Renegade (1981). It’s evident on these albums that Philo and company are aware of the burgeoning NWOBHM, slowly incorporating elements of such into their own signature sound, yet not fully embracing it the way they do on Thunder and Lightning (1983). Bygone very much picks up where Renegade left off, fusing leather-studded NWOBHM riffs, ’70s metal swagger, and ice-cool attitude into an all killer, no filler platter of badassery.
While every player does their part in keeping the Bygone engine moving and the songs exciting, I can’t stress enough the importance of keyboardist, Renato. Similar to Ozzy Osbourne’s Bark at the Moon and every Rainbow affair, Bygone is an album on which the keyboards play as important a role as the guitars. Take them away, and you’ve still got some tasty old school jams, but minus the charm and enigma this album brings to the table. While none of the songs themselves are progressive in nature, lacking the technical virtuosity or blatant pomp required for such a descriptor, these synths do add a flavor reminiscent of fellow retro revivalists Hällas, as well as the mighty Hawkwind.
As for the songs, the opening “Lightspeed Nights” takes centerstage with blatant Lynottian confidence, its synth/cymbal intro a homage to the classic “Angel of Death” (No, not Slayer’s). On balls-out riff-bangers like “Shadow Rising” and “Into the Gleam”, the NWOBHM influences really show their teeth, with these cuts evoking shadows of melodic NWOBHM titans Praying Mantis, Saracen, Demon, and even Magnum in their early ’80s days. More laidback moments like “Take Me Home” and “City Living” lie somewhere between spacey AOR and mesmerizing Wino-era Saint Vitus worship (A combo that needs to be heard to be believed), while the hard-grooving “The Last Horses of Avalon” could very well pass for a Pepper-era Corrosion of Conformity song if the band existed in 1979.
There is very little, if anything, about Bygone that is underwhelming. The songs rock hard, from start to finish. The atmosphere is otherworldly, which was the point to begin with. Frontman Jim Kirn does a mean Phil Lynott impersonation, throaty bellows and all. The riffage smokes, and even when they do unintentionally veer off into stoner/doom territory, they never get boring or monotonous. Yeah, this album has it all, and will certainly make the cut on our impending year end list which drops next week. Talk about handing in your homework at the last second!
9 out of 10
Label: Svart Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Thin Lizzy, Hällas, Mausoleum Gate