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Here's a review from
Melodicrock.com
Praying Mantis have a hard time ahead of them. They not only have to make up
for the loss of singer Tony O'Hara, but they also have to follow up one of the
best albums of their career, in Nowhere To Hide. While this is a solid enough
album, is also does neither of the above. In comes vocalists John Sloman and
Doogie White, who join the rest of the band on lead vocal duties. Sloman sings
on 3 tracks, Doogie on 4. The rest is covered by the band internally. What that
does is create a bit of a mess, as vocalists are coming and going throughout the
album. Highlighting that problem is the vocals of Doogie White, which so clearly
stand above those of the rest of the guys. His songs are not only the most
enjoyable of the album, but his self-supplied harmony vocals make those the best
songs of the album. And that I guess is the crux of of the problem - the songs
just aren't as strong and powerful as the last album. Instead there are too many
mid-tempo tracks that fail to ignite the listeners imagination. The overall
sound and production quality of the album is fine - there are still some good
English NWOBHM style moody rockers to enjoy and a few dramatic passages of music
that will find a home with established fans of the band. But as far as capturing
new fans like the last album did, I don't think it will happen here.
The Bottom Line
While this album is enjoyable and thoroughly competent, the difference
between this and the well received last album is fairly evident. That album
crossed over to a wider listener base, while this one is likely to remain a fans
only affair. Stronger songs and a punchier approach would have made for a
stronger release
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