Review: Tyrannus – Mournhold

May 4, 2026

Still Unslayable (and Purple)

Formed in 2018, Tyrannus hails from the highlands of Scotland. What makes them stand out in the UK underground scene is their songwriting that expertly blends black, thrash, and death metal styles together. This makes for an energetic and memorable sound that has shown promise since their early EP/demo to their impressive debut album, Unslayable from 2022. 4 years after the debut, they’ve now released their sophomore album, Mournhold, that aims to build on the potential Unslayable showed.

Mournhold starts off with a bang with “Violent Inheritance;” the thrash aggression combined with moodier sections sets the band apart from others in this blackened deathrash vein; I also like the punk-laden switch-up that is soon followed by some virtuoso shredding. One of the biggest strengths of this record is how enjoyable the fast-paced moments are; the following track, “Orbus Non Suffict,” goes for a more classic black metal approach but I really like the atmosphere as well. The band next goes for more of a traditional thrash kick with “Seeing Stars” which excels through its varied riffing. There’s a nice grit to the sound here—something akin to the likes of Kreator.

“Flesh Eternal” starts off with a fun, groovy bass intro, then veers toward a more post-punk and deathrock vibe in the instrumentals. I like how well it switches back to the black metal riffing later on in the track; the transitions between those elements are brilliantly executed and make for an album standout. Next up is “Reignfall,” marking a return to full-throttle black thrash aggression. The style here reminds me of a mix of classic bands like Venom as well as newer bands such as Devastator. It’s probably one of their heavier tracks and the guitar soloing sounds downright ethereal.

The title track, “Mournhold,” shows off more of the band’s death metal intensity; the aggressive vocals add to the instrumental carnage. The album finishes off on another black metal-oriented note with “Back to Grey” that begins with a nice melodic guitar intro. The guitar riffs throughout this track sound ruthless and gnarly, blending well with the melodic backbone. This closer does a great job stirring traditional black metal, meloblack and blackthrash together into a lovely concoction that finishes this album on a high note.

Mournhold is an overall great follow-up achievement for Tyrannus. They’ve improved on the potential they had with Unslayable with a tighter record that vaults the high bar of their debut LP. It also does a valiant effort in adding elements from other blackened sub-genres in the atmospheric/melodic regions. (This is in addition to adding genres outside of metal like punk, deathrock and post-punk.) This is definitely an album that sets the band apart from others in their niche—they’re certainly a band you’ll want to keep an eye on in the UK underground.