New Jersey’s Lyken 21 continue to change, evolve and warp their music transforming the sounds of Dream Theater and Judas Priest with a subtle lipstick kiss of 80’s glam and a touch of Euro metal flavor. They sound as blood thirsty about their music as their desire to play tunes started in the New Jersey underground but keep in touch with the mainstream. With lyrics about space and time, women of the night, the dark side of the human psyche and judgement day, they take an intelligent, thinking man’s approach to the expanding metal mind of the public conscience.
Singer Marton Miklos’s vocals venture near Priest, Halford and/or Ripper era with some Mustaine gnarled gristle and a back alley commanding growl. There are even tastes of hard rock Buck Cherry style and techno interplay. Oleg Lipovchenko and Emir Erkal let their guitars thrash, pound, peak and get technical. While bassist Andres Nuiver and drummer Matt Biehl keep everything intact, paced and away from spontaneous combustion. They take inspiration and pride reinventing the sounds of genre pioneers adding their own new bang and twist. Labeled “Generation Next,” their fourth offering Taboo’s Tyranny continues their ongoing musical story of mixing, mashing and moshing up musical meals to munch and chow down on with a four pronged pitchfork.
They’re shared stages with Overkill, Skid Row, Kings X, WASP, Crobot, LA Guns, Stryper and Faster Pussycat among others.
“Onward Traveler’s” mourning strings start the show marking the next journey. There’s a bit of the good, bad and ugly here with some mid-80’s Maiden, back in time.
“Starlight Symphony” plays the dance of the lunar, planetary, universal cosmos.
Stand out track “Serial Killer Voodeux” is cyber stellar as the cyber stalker is alive and prowling, stalking his territory outside till he finds you. Giving his victims fame through death, playing the killer blame game, projecting onto his prey. Guitars sound notes of warning, playing out the paranoia then play out his strategy schematic of savagery as drums pound his footsteps.
“Street Lover” looks for a quick fix and a guide to the hotel or backseat. The dusty back alley, street walker Sally, temp work like no other and she’s a fine piece of asset, for the right dead president. There’s a hair metal flair short of spandex as Miklos summons the sass of Little Richard and balls of Jerry Lee.
“Goodbye” basks in waves of tranquility with hints of the metal god as Miklos wraps the black leather glove around the mic, revving the engine. Farewell for now, gone way too soon with things never said.
“Neck deep in Ash” head’s down the highway with the motor city mob-scene chasing them down and the devil’s favorite demons overhead. Confessions, but no remorse for a life lived for evil and sin, facing damnation. Miklos brings out his Ripper Owens adding to the early 80’s Priest tone on the dirty road rocker.
They take a page from the lizard king. Ramping up the octane on the sunset strip drenched LA classic. “Break on Through.”
“Just not Now” has melodious growls, through robotic melody and keyboards with a bit of Euro influence. Dark secrets hidden well, most of the time, but there’s cracks in the inner armor and psyche. Damning revelations are escaping.
“What’s the Deal,” finishing up the dark ride with a dark nod to vaudeville. There are a few glimmers of Manson and the golden age in the black absinthe. With the devils jump and jive, hell-bound style.
“Hail” to the kings of NWOBHM and melodic prog rock. We’re all doomed on judgement day. But we’d rather go out our way.
