Forever In Time was released 1998
(53 votes, average: 9.32 out of 10)
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| Catalogue | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Cat No. | Label | Country |
| CD | PCCY-01257 | Pony Canyon | Japan |
| HQCD | PCCY-50028 | Pony Canyon | Japan |
| Track List | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title | Writers | Length |
| 01. Wasted Years | C.Troy/T.Troy | 6′ 35″ |
| 02. The Messiah | C.Troy/T.Troy/Barden | 5′ 09″ |
| 03. Best Years | Stratton/C.Troy/T.Troy | 7′ 42″ |
| 04. Blood Of An Angel | C.Troy | 5′ 59″ |
| 05. Valley Of The Kings | C.Troy/T.Troy | 5′ 09″ |
| 06. Changes | T.Troy/C.Troy | 5′ 25″ |
| 07. Man Behind The Mask | C.Troy/T.Troy/G.Barden | 7′ 14″ |
| 08. Remember My Name | T.O’Hora | 6′ 37″ |
| 09. The Day The Sun Turned Cold | C.Troy | 7′ 09″ |
| 10. Forever In Time | C.Troy | 7′ 04″ |
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| Additional Information | |
|---|---|
| Studios | Engineering |
| •Fleetwood Studios London | •Tino Troy |
| Mixer/Producer | Artwork |
| •Chris Tsangaridies | •Kazuo Hakamada |
| General Notes | |
Tino Troy, Chris Tsangaridis, Dennis Stratton, Tony O’Hora, Chris Troy (In Front) |
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I have been a Praying Mantis fan since I first heard "Captured City" on Metal for Muthas. Time Tells No Lies has always been on of my favourite albums and I was overjoyed when I first discovered it was out on CD. I didn't know what had happened after the first album until in about 1994 I discovered "A Cry For The New World". I was worried about getting it as I thought it had to be a disappointment but I was wrong. I loved it and have followed the band and maintained this website ever since.
Posted in Discography
From Hard Roxx Magazine Issue 36
Hard Roxx Magazine can be order my E-mailing Hard Roxx’s Owners. As of issue 36 the Magazine cost 4 UK Pounds in the UK (4.50 Europe, 5 pounds the Rest of the World) and comes with a sampler CD of new music.
PRAYING MANTIS
Forever in Time
Pony Canyon 01257
It has been a few years since we last heard from the brothers Troy, Tino and Chris respectively, and early reports were indicating that this was going to be one of the year’s top records. The first thing that I noticed is that Gary Barden (ex MSG, Statetrooper) has relinquished the mike stand and the new guy is a chap by the name of Tony O’Hora. Gosh, that name seems awfully familiar, but for the life of me I can’t place it. Anyway, this is no less than the fourth vocalist in the Mantis fold in the last few years and the guys really find themselves in need of an identifiable frontman. Colin Peel and Mark-Thompson Smith seemed ideal, but for what-ever reasons neither stuck around for more than an album each. Barden was just a little too worn around the edges for my liking, but I do believe the boys have landed a crown jewel in Mr. O’Hora, no better example being opening track, ‘Wasted Years‘ which starts out with some classic twin guitar harmonies from Dennis Stratton and Tino Troy, which has become synonymous with the Mantis sound.
It is here the listener is first treated to the magnificent vocals of Tony O’Hora. What a song! What production! What a voice! ‘The Messiah‘ showcases the vocal dexterity of O’Hora and the silky smooth vocal harmonies of the Troy Brothers and Big Dennis Stratton. ‘Best Years‘ has tons and tons of swirling keyboards and builds into one of the best penned Praying Mantis tunes ever!! The guitar work is razor sharp and the rhythm section of Bruce Bisland and Chris Troy provide the perfect backdrop for the keys and those killer vocals. ‘Blood Of An Angel‘ hearkens to mind the classic ‘Cry For the New World’ album and O’Hora puts forth the best vocal performance on a Praying Mantis record since Colin Peel sang his nuts off on the aforementioned platter. Other standouts include ‘Valley Of The Kings‘, ‘Man Behind The Mask‘ and ‘The Day The Sun Turned Cold‘
Actually out of the ten cuts on tap here, there isn’t one shred of filler. Will garner some contention for album of the year in my book and surely will make my top ten, and hats off to Tino and Chris Troy for coming up with the best new vocal talent I’ve heard this year. Steve Harris, are you listening?
10/10 Tom Coyne
AOR Land Review
The following review was written by Roger Brosel on his
AOR LAND – THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES Pages
Rating 81%
This legends of the NWOBHM, now stablished in the Japanese market, have
released a new record. “Forever in Time” was not what
I expected. In fact it’s better!. If you have been enjoying Balance of
Power or Royal Hunt records in the last years, this Praying
Mantis cd is a must in your list.
From the opener “Wasted Years” you can hear that the British Metal guitars
have found a new friend in the rather espectacular
keyboards that appart from adding a more epical feel, give Praying Mantis a
more embracing sound.
The second track “The Messiah” has some Rainbow (Dio era) elements. “Blood Of An Angel” is a Melodic Rock tune with a Royal
Hunt flavour all over it and “Remember My Name” start subtely to
progresively turn into a great power ballad. The great keyboards
appear once again in the wonderful “The Day The Sun Turned Cold” which is an
up-tempo rocker with a twin guitars solo and a kind of
Gamma Ray singalong chorus.
I hope this record gets European distribution because is good enough to
attract severals fans over here. Great epic melodic rock.
I’m not a big fan of Gary Barden, but when I bought this album and saw that
he had left the band, I was disappointed. Yet another singer was the last
thing I wanted!
Until I actually heard the album of course. From the very first time I heard
it, it totally blew me away! This is an amazing piece of work. Tony O’Hora
is the best singer they’ve ever had and on top of that, the (huge!) vocal
harmonies leave enough opportunity to enjoy the voices of the others as well
(especially Chris’s!).
I don’t know where they suddenly found the inspiration to write so many
incredible songs (with brilliant lyrics), but the standard on this album is
amazing. There are absolutely no fillers on this album, which is quite rare.
Impossible to name favourites; all of these songs are so great.
Oh yes, there is one favourite: the title track is the most moving song I’ve
ever heard. Tino and Chris had lost their father and this song is about
coping with that loss. Having lost my mother recently, the lyrics really get
to me, and I still get tears in my eyes every time I play it. What a
powerful song!
This strong emotional content makes this my favourite Praying Mantis album,
even topping “Time Tells No Lies”. And I’d never thought that would ever
happen…
Here’s a French lanaguage review from Secrets Of Steel
Praying Mantis est un groupe connu pour avoir été un des leaders
de la NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal). Le groupe n’avait
produit qu’un seul album et s’était séparé en deux
groupe : Clive Burr’s Escape et Stratus. Grâce à
une forte audience japonaise, Praying Mantis se reforme au début
des années 90. Voilà pour l’histoire
Forever in time, produit par Chris Tsangarides (Angra “Fireworks”),
est en quelque sorte la surprise de l’année, l’album que l’on
attendait pas.
Pas mal de synthés, Forever in time est un album de métal
mélodique plutôt soft, mais quelle classe !
Dennis Stratton (Iron Maiden) fait des merveilles avec
sa 6 cordes, dans un style très “Maiden” et le chanteur,
Tony O’Hora n’est pas sans rappeler Paul Di’anno, en
plus lyrique. Les choeurs magistraux dans un style “Symphony
X” sont un enchantement permanent.
De la sublime ballade “Valley of the kings”(avec
un final musclé) au speed-mélodique-prog “The
day the sun turned cold” en passant par un titre AOR comme
“Wasted years”, que du très bon pendant plus
d’une heure.
Je ne connaissais pas l’existence de ce groupe avant d’avoir écouté
“Forever in time”, donc ici, point de nostalgie,
mais un véritable coup-de-coeur, à écouter d’urgence.
A l’heure actuelle, je ne sais pas si le disque sera disponible en
version européenne, et l’import est un peu onéreux.
Titre
Favori : “Valley of the kings”
Here’s a review from Powerplay Magazine
PRAYING MANTIS
“FOREVER IN TIME”
When it comes to New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands, the annals of time seem to have forgotten Praying Mantis.
While other NWOBHM bands like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard have remained viable in recent years, Praying Mantis, which at one time or another included several ex-Maiden members, has achieved primary success only in Japan. Perhaps that’s why the band’s latest album, Nowhere to Hide, was released in Japan before it hit the rest of the world. (Now & Then Productions/Frontiers Records has plans to release the disc in Europe later this year.) And thanks to Europe’s Zoom Records, much of the Mantis back catalog has also been reissued (with bonus tracks, in some cases) to the UK. (I don’t believe this is true – Jon)
Among the reissues is 1998’s “Forever in Time”, a near perfect blend of pomp and prog featuring the Mantis debut of vocalist extraordinaire Tony 0’Hora (but unfortunately no bonus tracks). While a previously rotating line-up of singers proved credible, Praying Mantis reaches a new level with 0’Hora’s clear, soaring and downright heavenly vocals. But is it possible for a band to record one of its best albums 17 years after its debut, “Time Tells No Lies”? You bet. Apparently, Mantis’ co-founding brothers Tino (guitars) and Chris (bass and keyboards) Troy agree: “Nowhere to Hide” boasts the same roster as “Forever in Time”, which also includes drummer Bruce-Bisland and guitarist Dennis Stratton.
The title track alone from “Forever in Time” – with numerous musical passages, spiritually haunting lyrics and excellent group vocals – is worth listening to again and again. Other highlights like “The Messiah”, “Best Years’ and “Blood of Angel” flirt with AOR pride, and “Valley of the Kings”, “Changes” and “The Day The Sun Turned Cold” proudly follow prop-rock sensibilities. The brothers Troy wrote the majority of music and lyrics on “Forever in Time”, but 0’Hora gets credit for the album’s only ballad, “Remember My Name” – a powerful descent into the nightmare of lost love.
Checking out the rest of the Praying Mantis catalog in preparation for “Nowhere to Hide” isn’t a bad idea, but if you don’t believe in saving the best for last, pickup “Forever in Time” first.
SOUND 8/10
SONGS 9/10
GENRE 8/10
MICHAEL POPKE
While in July this year the successor “Nowhere To Hide” was put on the shelves of the stores in Japan (will be released in September in Germany also! – TMS!), PRAYING MANTIS have finally made a deal in their home country,
too. These days their album from 1998 “Forever In Time” was released, which was, until then, only available as an expensive import from Japan. However, “Forever In Time” is the best PM album ever in their history and
it’s not only me who likes it! (me too!! – TMS), even better than their well known classic “Time Tells No Lies”, because everything sounds modern and more transparent without denying their roots just a second!
AOR hits “en masse”, great melodies – not only the refrains, also concerning keyboards and guitars the English band has ripped fantastic melodies
out of their hips (when you think of the opener “Wasted Years”, the following “The Messiah”, or, to explain it briefly: the rest of the album)! – “Forever In Time” is an album I will like to listen to even in a few years.
Simply the production could have been more transparent and breezy, but Chris Tsangarides isn’t the youngest anymore 😉 Buy and wallow!
9,0 (PIRATE QUEEN)
http://www.underground-empire.de
Simple the best.
Well, this is quite simple. With no doubt this is THE record of 98. And probably of the whole decade. There was no other record which reached the perfection in composition, melodies, arrangements, voices and all together. The result: ten superb songs which separately would made valuable in any other record. The best thing is that they were all together in this masterpiece.
Praying Mantis did a memorable debut record: Time tell no lies. Most people would think that they hadn’t top that one. My opinion is different: Forever in time is different in style (nwobhm vs. hard rock) and both records are strong and good, but forever is the one of 5 records to bring to a desert island. However the record has not achieved the recognized status the debut one did. But damm!, it really deserved it.
The keyboards are brilliant and give another dimension with the two guitars around it. I liked it since the first time i heard it. I believe they just made a piece of art.
Special mention to the producer Chris Tsangaridis but what more could i say about this record except that i love it, i love it …
Forever in time, wasted years, changes, blood of an angel, valley of the kings, best years, the day the sun turn cold, man behind the mask …
Remember my name is interesting since is the only composition from the new guy, Tony, which really helped with his voice match the absolutely brilliant compositions made from the Troy brothers along with Dennis. Guys, you really made it!
beyond any classification. classic timeless