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The Sound of Persistence from Germany's Tyrant Eyes is a varied collection of crunchy Euro Metal. Much of the album is straight-up, guitar-driven Heavy Metal and while most of the songs aren't particularly original, the performances are quite good. Singer Claudius Bormuth's gravelly voice leads the way, although he too has more up his sleeve than just gravel. Where the album differentiates itself is in the songwriting. "Another Ray of Light" is a Power Metal anthem, not unlike something you might hear from Austria's Serenity. The fact that Bormuth's clean singing resembles Georg Neuhauser, right down to the accent, is certainly a factor. Then there's the nearly Death/Thrash "Born Criminal," with harsher vocals and super fast drums. Tyrant Eyes also show their admiration for Helloween with the odd yet amusing Hard Rock-tinged "Little Green Monsters." This song, with its cautionary lyrics concerning genetic research, will have you thinking of "Dr. Stein."

As previously stated, individual songs on The Sound of Persistence aren't necessarily memorable individually, but when taken as a whole, the album, and its multiple facets, is clever and refreshing.