Art Rock Sweden – 'Sanctuary' review

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PRAYING MANTIS – SANCTUARY (Frontiers Records)

1.In Time
2.Restless Heart
3.Tears In The Rain
4.So High
5.Turn The Tide
6.Touch The Rainbow
7.Threshold Of A Dream
8.Playing God
9.Highway
10.Sanctuary

Studio album No. 8 from the British entrepreneur are Praying Mantis. Over the years, members from both Iron Maiden and Rainbow was on the trip to the new album “Sanctuary”.

Left since the start are brothers Tino and Chris Troy.

The opening of “In Time” shows the band is far from the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) as it always has been plugged in. powerful and melodic with nice guitars in the style of a mixture of Phenomena and Masterplan.

The rest of the album keeps the bar high with a great variety among the songs.

The quieter songs “Tears In The Rain” and “Turn The Tide” is simply amazing.
And “Restless Heart” which follows up a song that should serves as a radio single with its incredible Thin Lizzy loops.

New singer Mike Freeland impresses great throughout the album.

That the band has been waiting for the really big breakthrough for nearly 30 years is a mystery and I hope the wait is over now, “Santuary” is a really good album with 10 tracks and gun production is brilliant. Just to say a big success and one can hope for a couple of visits to Canada during the upcoming tour …

My favorite songs are Restless Heart, So High, Turn The Tide.

www.praying-mantis.com

www.myspace.com/prayingmantisrock

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Andy Flash