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October 12, 2008 |
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01. Axe Of Redemption
02. Shades Of Hatred
03. Approach
04. Reflections Of You
05. My Enemy
06. A New Breed Of Life
07. Second Life Ahead
08. Weathered Soul
09. Resist And Overcome
10. Sleep In Your Grave
11. The End's Where It Begins
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The tsunami of the Core wave continues to assail the US, and cresting that wave are Southern California's MANNTIS, managing to ride the tide above an innumerable mass of faceless urchins chasing the same sound, and somehow achieving some sense of distinction; a rather notable achievement considering how much this overly tired sound permeates today's metal scene. Gaining their initial boost into the Metalcore mainstream through their relative success on the over - inflated popularity of MTV's "Battle For Ozzfest" in 2004, MANNTIS came out of their stint on the show short of landing a spot on the Ozzfest tour, but I think most people who had the misfortune of witnessing the extremely flat winners of that TV show, A DOZEN FURIES, on the Ozzfest tour would agree that MANNTIS have considerably more chops, strength, and staying power.
What I find most respectable about MANNTIS is that immediately following their stint on the show and subsequent signing to Century Media, they initiated a constant flurry of shows across the country and literally stormed the west coast with a staggering amount of appearances, proving their dedication to and belief in their music. In the words of frontman Jake Sirokman, "…We're a dedicated band with five years in the scene, not just some reality show poseurs looking to extend our 15 minutes of fame." I can respect that.
That said, this is still dyed-in-the-wool Metalcore, albeit fairly effective, operating on the same tier inhabited by dominators of this scene like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, DIECAST and SHADOW'S FALL. What that basically signifies from my perspective is some extremely effective rhythm, riffery, and thrashing metal tempos significantly weakened by a very direct, monotonous and non - distinct Hardcore vocal delivery. Granted, the whole idea behind Metalcore is to incorporate the Hardcore influences into the music via the vocal pathway, but on the whole said vocals are ridiculously standardized and grating, far too redundant to achieve any notable distinction. MANNTIS are knee-deep in this category, and without the above-average guitar riffing the vocals would render this band about as effective as Pat Boone singing for TOOL.
The band even try their hand at a clean vocal acoustic song called "The End Where It Begins", which the liner notes claim was written for Rob Halford on the "Battle For Ozzfest" show, but it's not working either. In fact, the vocals more oft than not sound like a GREEN DAY ballad, and if I had my druthers I'd just as soon take the stale Metalcore approach.
Still, there's plenty to offer on "Sleep In Your Grave"; several of the songs are particularly good, and while the vocals are never anything to write home about, they do at times manage to hang in there with the rest of the music. Case in point is the album opener and first single from the album, "Axe Of Redemption". This tune has a ripping main riff and offers the stomping Metalcore tempo at its best, incorporating a sense of old school Thrash influence via some well executed guitar harmonics through the middle tempo break.
Another outstanding effort is the title track "Sleep In Your Grave", by far the most Thrash - veined and therefore most effective song on the album, with several great guitar passages that keep you reaching out to crank the volume and put your neck on a bone breaking pivot. Without a doubt, guitarists Adair Colby and Jeremy Swanson are the vital components of MANNTIS and the primary reason that the band manages this style so well. There are even hints of solos, although they register somewhat on the short side and therefore might be better described as flourishes; regardless, it's a relative rarity in the Metalcore sound and helps to make the songs "Shades Of Hatred" and "Weathered Soul" two of the better to be found on the album.
When all is said and done, I'd say this band at least deserves the effort of consideration; I've heard more Metalcore this year than I can shake a nail-studded baseball bat at and have been moved to nausea by almost all of it; but MANNTIS is one of those few that's better than the average. They have a substance that tells me even if the flocking of the sheep towards this music style had not occurred, MANNTIS would be working hard, paying their dues, and toughing it out in the underground. That speaks to the potential of them releasing a follow up album successfully reflecting their effort to build and improve, and if they remain dedicated to the music instead of the fading, fickle commercial crave for it, MANNTIS will have plenty time to live on the stage before they sleep in their grave.
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