Tygers Of Pan Tang - The Wreck-Age (2022)

The fifth Tygers record didn't storm the charts or break any new ground. But, the obvious now stated, Wreck-Age is not a bad spin. After an auspicious opening salvo of fiery metal slabs, here the Tygers return from legal hassles with their tails between their legs, offering safe hair to clog airwaves and make videos with, with no guilty treasures like "Paris by Night" coiled in the grooves. Keyboards and electronic drums let the listener know it's the big '80s right off the bat in opener "Waiting." The Tygers' claws have been sharper, but Wreck-Age holds hooks all the same. Depending on your personal hair tolerance (which must be high since you're here), the title track and "Desert of No Love" may take you to the top. "Women in Cages" revives an extinct vein of '70s exploitation cinema. In fact, victimization seems to be a motif, further detailed through "Protection," "Innocent Eyes," and, natch, "Victim." By the last song, it's easy to forgive the jolly ol' Tygers of Pan Tang for this forgettable poodle platter from a time of rock's fading innocence. ~ Doug Stone