Two brothers from the barren, neo-futuristic wastes of San Diego, California bring us a full-sized serving of old-school metal that fuses fun influences together for a more textured headbanging experience.

I didn’t know what to expect from this record since Tzimani were not anywhere on my metal radar. I was trying to finish building a Gundam model when THENWOTHM Editor Rob appeared from inside the nearest chimney and told me to check this album out for a review, before tipping his cap, singing “Chim Chim Cheree!” and suddenly disappearing from whence he came. I was immediately intrigued by both the unique name and the solid album artwork. A band comprising of just two brothers is sure to have some kind of chemistry! Let’s break it down track by track:

1. We Stand and Fight rips out of the sonic darkness with a pleasing riff that will get any old-school metalhead moving. The vocals kick in and the unpolished, unpretentious delivery is quite charming. It’s a solid start that lets you know what you’re in for.

2. Breaker keeps up the fun by opening up with a defiant laugh before giving way to a nice mid-tempo stomper. The solo in the middle of this song hits all the right notes with ample reverb to add to the atmosphere. For fans of the genre, this is a very comfortable chug.

3. Hold On picks up the speed with a twin-guitar intro over some fast drumming. The ethereal vocals here are a really nice touch. The underlayer of synth creates a melodic and melancholy vibe. The album is really coming alive here and helps the band stand apart from its peers.

4. Haunting doesn’t let the momentum slow down and opens with a punch of synth that then melds with metal riffage, creating a potent blend of AOR and NWOTHM that will surprise and delight. I am legitimately blown away but how effective this is. It’s easily my favorite track on the album and you should start here if you’re not sure about what you’ve read so far.

5. Endless Road kicks into high gear with some confident shredding that leads into a pounding guitar assault. The aggression subsides briefly with some clean guitars before returning to the heaviness, but this time accompanied by a more confident and gritty vocal performance from Eddie Vazquez. This is a fun way to start the second half of the album.

6. Bleeding Life is a more straightforward track that actually reminds me of Haunt or Cauldron with its personal lyrics and emotionally strained vocal performance. Another searing solo is a highlight of this track.

7. Empty gets things going with a speedy yet melancholy riff to carry a more personally reflective track. The subdued, harmonized vocals bring home the sadder space that this track occupies. The solo keeps the vibe going throughout the shred. This song gives you something you never knew you wanted until now: somber speed metal!

8. I Feel Fine is the kind of old-school headbanger that you don’t hear too often. This reminded me a lot of early Armored Saint-meets-Van Halen which was a nice surprise. Eddie Vazquez might be searching for and sometimes finding his vocal wheelhouse on this album but his virtuosic guitar playing cannot be questioned. This is a fun way to put a bow on the album!

Wrapping up:

What Tzimani have done here is lay down a slab of meat-and-potatoes heavy metal for the working man with a bit of extra flair thanks to some incredible guitar work and beautifully-implemented synths. Brothers Eddie and Seb Vazquez have created a metal record that is simple in structure but packed with sonic, lyrical, and atmospheric depth. I Feel Fine was a very pleasant surprise for me, and I give it a very high recommendation.

THENWOTHM SCORE: 8/10