Gaffa
oktober 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Et mesterligt udført melankolsk rockalbum, som fortjener et stort publikum.

Efter 10 års stilhed har Tyrants & Kings med Sketches for a Requiem skabt et melankolsk rockalbum, som befinder sig bedst i skyggernes verden og de sene aftentimer, men som fortjener at blive trukket ud af sjælens afkroge og eksponeret for et stort rockpublikum – for et bedre rock-udspil findes pt. næppe i en dansk kontekst.

Jeg indrømmer blankt, at jeg blev væltet bagover af det ene fuldendte nummer efter det andet, og som en automatisk reaktion måtte jeg høre albummet igen og igen; for havde jeg netop hørt ni pletfrie rocknumre? Numre, hvis dystre kondensvand emmer af noget så sjældent som mørke, sjælfulde sange af levet liv, hvis dybe vokal korresponderer en-til-en med tekstuniverset og orkestreringen.

Tyrants & Kings fremstår som det, de er, et gennemrutineret band af granvoksne mænd, hvis livserfaring kanaliseres ud i ni eminente sange, som formår at frembringe en mellemmenneskelighed, som netop ikke kun er forbeholdt granvoksne mænd. Dennis Kasten, hvis vokal bringer reminiscenser til Ed Kowalczyk fra Live eller Sivert Høyem fra Madrugada, har formået at gøre det personlige universelt og skabt et album til mørke stunder, hvor trygheden skal findes i sjælens afkroge.

Det er svært at vælge nogle numre ud fremfor andre, da kvaliteten er gennemgående meget høj. Sangene er kendetegnende ved en afdæmpet indestængt energi, som hvert sekund truer med at sprænge den tynde fernis af melankoli. Det er “My World Is Burning” et eksempel på. Med sin dystopiske tekst kravler håbløsheden langsomt ind på lytteren, som til sidst væltes bagover af et crescendo af smuk frustration.

Et af de mest hjerteskærende og smukke numre er “All I Ever Knew”, som holdes i et konstant afdæmpet tempo, og hvis smerte skærer dybt i det repetitive stykke ”It is nothing but a hollow / Nothing but a hollow love”. En transcendering af mellemmenneskelighed, som jeg sjældent møder i sange i dag. Ikke fordi der ikke bliver sunget om uforløst kærlighed, men fordi det sjældent virker ægte.

Afslutningsvis er det passende at fremhæve albummets sidste skæring “Let It All Come Down”, som er en værdig albumafslutter. Den starter med en storladen instrumentering og føles som en forløsning, når Dennis Kasten messer “You will never go back again, go back again, no” og tro mod albummets dystre dna ender ud i et frådende, men ikke desto mindre vellykket crescendo af vokal, guitar, trommer, kor og bas.

Sketches for a Requiem emmer af uhørt høj kvalitet og en sjældent hørt intensitet. Den skinbarlige ærlighed og deraf sårbarhed er pakket ind i et mørke af patos, melankoli og levet liv og er bundet sammen af en melodisk fernis, som ikke kan kategoriseres som andet end et fuldbyrdet mesterværk. Et album, jeg varmt kan anbefale.

Rockfreaks.net
august 2024

7½ / 10

Tyrants & Kings is a Danish rock band that released three albums over a decade ago. They’re back with their fourth record “Sketches For A Requiem”, a moody, ambient, minimalist rock album fully driven by the thick, baritone vocals of Dennis Kasten. It’s their first work in ten years, meaning they’ve had plenty of time to hone these songs into one coherent collection.

Indeed, given the record’s tendency to bathe in dark melancholy and somber, quiet soundscapes, it lends itself best for a moment where you have enough time to fully listen with a good pair of headphones to absorb its detail. Kasten’s baritone style borrows heavily from artists like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen, which means his warm, yet coarse delivery is soothing while also offering plenty of depth to the atmosphere.

Speaking of which, atmosphere is what this record is all about. “Lovers Gone Op. 9” is almost like an orchestral piece with an added cello giving the track ample elevation from an instrumental perspective. With Kasten’s low-range vocals on top, it creates an effect that makes the song feel deeply profound as if it is coming from a personal angle.

“My World Is Burning” is one of the louder tracks on the record, surprisingly drawing parallels to the more modern Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes tracks. Here, the expansive howls fit perfectly against the ambient background drop for a richly textured soundscape that feels intensely authentic.

The atmosphere and mood throughout “Sketches For A Requiem” is well executed to feel like a whole rather than a sum of individual parts. Whether it’s calm, piano-driven sessions like “Keep Your Eyes Open” or the more crescendoing rock parts, it feels experimental, depth-laden, and driven by thematics. If you’ve ever listened to the Westworld soundtrack, then Tyrants & Kings are in a similar realm here. The album feels romantic but from a Western angle. It’s dark but only because Kasten’s baritone vocals make it so.

Overall, it’s one of those records that when you sit down and listen to it, you’re impressed by its detail and the emotion that has clearly gone into recording it just right. That said – its experimentalism, minimalism, and slow vibes mean it’s not gonna be one for the masses. Niché audiences will potentially enjoy this to the point of a cult status, however.

Powerplay Magazine
juni 2024

⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚫⚫

Tyrants & Kings are a Danish rock band who have been on a ten-year hiatus, and are ow back with their fourth album, which sees hem go in a different and more mature musical direction than before. The songs are hugely personal, ut they are all about the challenges we struggle with throughout life. The band aren’t really comparable to anyone else I’ve listened to, but the edginess, feeling, and the vocals make me think of Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan.
I’m always a fan of an album starting with a fat bass line, and ‘End Of An Endless Day’ does just that, the percussion giving it an unsettling feel before the deep, gruff, and resonating vocals come in. ‘Sketches For A Requiem’ is very raw, stripped back and emotive; at some points, such as in ‘Keep Your Eyes Open’, it is almost like the world might explode with the amount of feeling that comes from the climax and crescendos of the songs. There are no intricate, never-ending guitar solosand the vocals are very much the focus of each song, but this works. ‘My World Is Burning’ is a powerful example of this, and you find yourself captivated, but this is perhaps not an album to listen to if your mind is in a bad place.