PRAYING MANTIS – “Sanctuary”
Frontiers Records & SLW Promotions 2009
Music: Melodic Heavy Metal
Website: www.praying-mantis.com
Duration: 51:02 minutes (10 tracks)
Country: United Kingdom
Tracklist:
1. In Time
2. Restless Heart
3. Tears In The Rain
4. So High
5. Lonely Way Home
6. Touch The Rainbow
7. Threshold Of A Dream
8. Playing God
9. Highway
10. Sanctuary
Band line-up:
Mike Freeland: Vocals
Tino Troy: Lead Guitar & Vocals
Chris Troy: Bass & Vocals
Andy Burgess: Lead Guitar & Vocals
Benjy Reid: Drums
PRAYING MANTIS exists so many years. In the 70. years of XX century the band created the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) together with such bands like IRON MAIDEN, ANGEL WITCH and DIAMOND HEAD. I wonder… I am ignoramus but I have shame to admit that I never earlier did not hear about this band. I doubt that the news about PRAYING MANTIS avoided my country. Anyway it is the time to replenish the arrears and meet with their the newest album promoted by SLW Promotions.
The title of the album – “Sanctuary” sounds very familiar and typically for NWOBHM . However the music from the disc is not already typical for NWOBHM… The 10 tracks have the palpable roots in the NWOBHM. It is audible very clearly. Although the compositions are more gentle. Here the many nostalgic guitar melodies and vocal melodies are mixing themselves together with hard riffs of the guitars as well as dynamic hits of the drums. The every track has the characteristic arrangements (falling into ear very easy) e.g. a special melody, a stanza or a refrain. However the melodious vocals (in falsetto) together with full of energy instruments create the characteristic contrast (typical for NWOBHM). Such the serve often is the visiting-card of bands from under the sign of NWOBHM. The dynamics of the composition is pretty variable, although it does not undergo the extreme turns, rather the songs with the average paces predominate here. However the possibility to the accelerations or the decelerations also exists here. The decelerations (in style of ballads) are here pretty frequent.
The album “Sanctuary” belongs to the very romantic music of full of melodies and also dynamics. The individual tracks are strongly marked with a melancholy and a pompous tone. The guitar solos, the vocal exultations together with the motives of symphonic orchestra often underline the emotions of the songs.
The disc includes the video clip “Turn The Tide” – it is the very melancholy dramatic ballad… I admit that I did not hear so good Melodic Heavy Metal long ago.
Rate: 8.5/10
