PRESS RELEASE:
SCOTLAND’S FINEST HEAVY METAL, TANTRUM, RELEASE “THE DARKEST OF TIME / TORNADO OF SOULS” SINGLE
The double A-sided single brings a new line-up, the strongest in their career, with a new original song “The Darkest Of Time” and a stellar version of Megadeth’s classic.
PROMO VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2n7Mw1GhGw
Tantrum is a Glasgow-based old-school metal band with a modern slant, combining classic guitar-driven riffs and driving rhythms with strong lyrical themes and solid vocal harmonies.
Formed by drummer Billy Angus in 2014, Tantrum released the Rough Cuts EP in 2016, with the debut album Melt it Down following in 2018. Immediately prior to COVID hitting the UK, Tantrum parted company with vocalist Steven Swanson, using the lockdown period to search for a replacement.
After a 24-year absence from the music scene, current vocalist Mark Reid joined the ranks in September, 2021. During the recording of what was slated to be the second album, guitarist Steve Waddell left to pursue a solo career and it was decided that the four completed tracks would be released an EP, entitled Worlds End.
Some thirty-eight days and myriad applicants later, Tantrum welcomed Baz Fitzsimmons to the ranks alongside long-standing guitarist Stoo Condie. Known for his work with Syth, Baz brought his own style of playing while still maintaining the tight, twin-guitar cannonade that Tantrum have become known for.
After the departure of bassist Ritchie Davison, the band asked temporary bassist Micah Snow—who Baz had played with in Farseer—to join the band on a full-time basis, and work soon began on the writing and recording of the second album.
With the recording of the album now complete, but still prior to its release, both Billy and Stoo decided that it was time for them to move on, with Billy retiring from playing and Stoo taking a well-earned sabbatical.
The band’s second album, Another Life, was released on July 28th 2023 with the debut single, “Sands of Time” receiving excellent reviews and boasting more than 25,000 Spotify streams as of August 23rd.
Rather than begin the search for a guitarist to replace Stoo, it was clear that the best candidate for the position was already in the band—Micah. A virtuoso guitarist at heart who had only taken up the mantle of bassist out of necessity, Micah didn’t take much persuading and so the hunt was now on for a drummer and bassist to complete the lineup for the next evolution of Tantrum.
In order to fill their bass-player-sized hole made by Micah’s jump to guitar, Tantrum once again opted to use a temporary bassist while they auditioned for the full-time replacement, this time turning to Chris Horne, a friend of Mark’s who had offered to swap his trusty guitar for a bass to help out. As before, Chris took the decision to make this a permanent position, much to the delight of the others.
Rather than stagnate while looking for the perfect drummer, Tantrum took the decision to place vocalist Mark—already an experienced drummer on his solo projects and session for others—behind the kit to allow them to continue moving forward and record their traditional Christmas EP without any loss of momentum.
In early January 2024, Tantrum embarked on a search for the perfect drummer to complete the lineup for the next phase of their musical journey. The auditions attracted numerous talented musicians, ultimately leading to the selection of Mark Riches as their new drummer.
Riches, renowned for his drumming prowess from his time with MacTallica, expressed his enthusiasm for joining Tantrum, stating, "Having been recommended to audition for Tantrum by my longtime friend Tony McShane of MacTallica, I spent an evening listening to their latest album Another Life and fell in love. It´s exactly what I was looking for musically". Tantrum are excited about the energy and expertise Mark Riches brings to the band and believes that his addition will further elevate their sound. Recording for the third album is already underway, more than half of which was written during the mixing and mastering process of last year’s Another Life. The second evolution of Tantrum has begun.
TANTRUM:
Mark Reid – Vocals
Baz Fitzsimmons – Guitars
Micah Snow – Guitars
Chris Horne – Bass
Mark Riches - Drums
Official Website: http://www.tantrum.rocks
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/tantrumscotland
https://www.instagram.com/tantrumscotland
