If one could take a carefully all the "Metal Massacre" editions of the 80s, the clear idea that blows the fans away is: merely 15-20% of those acts released an EP or album, showing that the construction of US Metal sonority isn't only laying on greater names, but by many smaller bands that aren't remembered today. One of those who tried to carry the torch during the bad days of the beginning of the 90s is TYR, a long gone band of Baltimore, Maryland, as can be heard on "Of Law and War", the band's only Demo Tape that now is released as an album. The band was founded in 1991 (the year when Metal trend started to crumble down on USA) and that ended on 1993. These recordings are the only testimony of their existence, showing a form of Heavy/Power Metal influenced by acts as HELLOWEEN and some neoclassic influences (as pioneering the model that would be usual by Power Metal bands in the second half of the 90s), with very catchy melodies, an elegant outfit and tons of energy flowing of the songs, and that US Metal DNA that's usual for North American acts.

It's really very good, showing a different path for the genre on those days, with clear traces of QUEENSRŸCHE and DIO as well. The album was produced by the band and engineer Chris Messers and Joe Gallagher Jr., with the remastering of Kostas Scandalis. For those days, the sonority was very good, better than many Demo Tapes of the same epoch, but bearing the crude approach of such kind of release. It's defined and it's not hard to understand what's being expressed by the band.

From "The Pack" (an excellent Heavy/Power Metal song with tons of musical weight, and a neoclassic approach during the guitar solos, but with a great melodic appeal) to "Waiting for the Roar" (a heavy song with slower paced tempos, built upon a solid and charming work of bass guitar and drums, with a very good chorus filled with fine backing vocals), all the songs are from the Demo Tape of the same name of the album, with highlights during "No One Cares (for the Broken Hearted)" (here some Hard Rock melodic elements can be felt, with an excellent chorus, very good shifts between introspective and heavier moments, with the vocals laying perfectly on the instrumental sheath), "Shadowland" (an amazing energy flows from this one, with very good instrumental arrangements), the instrumental "The Gates of Valhalla" (a trilogy of moments, with obvious focus on the virtuous guitars), and "Eye of the Tempest".

But "(Fight for the) Lost Dream", "Heir to the Dragon", "Regrets (Standing at the Gateway to Hell)" and "See How They Run" are live shots extracted from an old VHS of the band, recorded on 1992, so expect something crude, but as the readers were on the show. "Of Law and War" is an honest and fine release, showing that TYR deserved better luck. But as everyone knows, those days were truly hard for North American Metal acts.