Sanctuary

And finally... :-)

It is not easy to write a complete review of this record. Still i am listening into it, and still i am appreciating every time new things.
Though it does not top their master opus (Forever in time) it is a great record. Forever, maybe, it is written so much in my head that I can't help loving it so much.
OK, after one week i have to say that i love Turn the tide (the best power ballad), the opener In Time, the mind poignant Playing God and the title epic song so-complicated-built-in, but fantastic anyway...
So high has a great vocals too and is a great speeder, curiously?
And now Touch the rainbow, a great rocker which was not instant hit...
I am very happy to see that vocals fit perfectly into Mantis. Though I do not consider Chris or Tino's having bad vocals, Mike has done a great job. I loved Tony's but Mike's are as good as Tony's.
Definetly it has Mantis signature and rest of bands need to do a great effort so i do not consider this one the record of the year :-)

...
3 months after...

beyond any classification. classic timeless

Demorabilia

These are a bunch, well, quite more than a bunch raw recordings which never saw the light, and now they were rescued to please us :-)
The material here is most sung by Bernie Shaw -at least the songs i like most-, though there are several singers and different line-ups...
However you can find here some of the best NWOHM gems which never got enough appreciated.
Enough is enough, Nightmares, Raining in Kensington (absolute outstanding power ballad), the Story, The Horn (which would make Predator in Disguise), Top of the mountain, Heat of the moment (not the cover)...
I got it finally 2 years ago in ebay, so i am glad i could complete finally my mantis collection :-)

9/10 great to have

Live at Reading 1982 + Singles

This bootleg compilation is awesome.
It has:
-Cheated single. Just ok, 2 live versions, good, plus 30 pieces of silver.
01. Cheated
02. 30 Pieces Of Silver
03. Flirting With Suicide (Live)
04. Panic In The Streets (Live)
-Turn the tables single. Awesome. The title song, plus the soft perfect ballad and an instrumental, which will make next record PID
01. Turn The Tables
02. Tell Me Nightmare's Wrong
03. A Question Of Time
-Praying Mantis single. Ok.
01. Praying Mantis
02. High Roller
-Captured City single. Great song. Still fresh today. :-)
01. Captured City 02. Johnny Cool
and
Live at Reading 1982 (Bernie Shaw's on vocals), just awesome all of it:
01.Nightmares
02.I Know It
03.Tell Me The Nightmare's Wrong
04.Enough Is Enough
05.Turn The Tables
06.Flirtin' With Suicide











Definitively a great buy, raw sound, full of power and melody

10/10 brilliant

Throwing shapes

I couldn't understand Tino (or maybe it was Chris) that they'd prefer this record not to be released... Come'on, it couldn't be so bad!
And when I got it, I understood it partially. I mean, it is not a bad record, but it is kind of strange. Hold, I looove Bernie's vocals. He's great, but the songs, arrangement and interpretation they are a bit 'not-mantis-alike' ...
Best songs Enough is Enough and Back Street Lovers, though i prefer the Demorabilia interpretation from the first one... And for the second one, is a great song, but rather strange in Mantis legacy... what do you think?

This 'bootleg' i got it with the Sanctuary tape from Iron Maiden, which is a great work...

8/10 Nice to have

Only the children cry

This japanese version I have is a short EP. 4 songs. Not bad ones: Only the children cry, A moment in life, Who's life is it anyway and Turn the tables.
To be honest there is time since I do not hear this one... but overall is not bad.
This was done during the time 'another record, another singer' and Mark Thompson-Smith is not a bad singer but not a great one. Just average, and in my opinion I prefer vocals from Troy's brothers :-)

8/10 nice to have, great collectable.

To the Power of Ten

To the Power of Ten is the worst Mantis record. And it is not a bad one. But somehow i feel Gary's voice does not suit in Mantis legacy... in my humble opinion. Gary does great in his record "In Love and War" or all the old MSG stuff (Cry for the Nations, Attack of the Mad Axeman, On a on, Never trust a stranger, rock will never die...), but to me he is not the ideal voice for Mantis.
Anyway there are great songs: Welcome to my Hollywood (the best song), Don't be afraid of the dark, Victory, Only the children cry...

But I can't stand songs as Ball of confusion or title track, they are simply horrible :-(

Despite of being the weakest release, there are great songs.

8/10 nice to have

eternal infinity

eternal infinity was the solo record from tony o'hora which was done besides the immortal forever in time.
it could have been nearly as huge as this one, since this record is great but it lacks speed. yes, i do like mid tempos, but some times the songs need to be slow, sometimes they need to be fast ... in this one unfortunately i missed speed. the speed which is on over the edge, the best song of the record.
other good songs are hurts like hell, remember my name, never meant to make you cry, voices, end of an era ...

the songwriting is excellent, the tempo is not so right ... :-(

also i miss the japanese cover, which i find it very nice, ala rnr over from kiss. why do they change it for europe/u.s.? ... i find it st***d

8/10 it could have been great-er

a cry for the new world

this is a strange record for mantis. is not a bad one, just a bit strange. it was the first without a mantis in the cover. :-)
anyway it has its shining moments: letting go, a cry for the new world and journeyman rank amongst the best songs composed by the band, mainly by the troy brothers.
i like tino's and chris' voices, and loving tony's then i find colin's a bit strange. don't misunderstand me, it is not a bad voice, but at least a bit curious
mantis seem to have a compromise with earth, so songs flow in this way. you may not find many love songs in mantis 'repertoir' but, as i said once, as long as the songs are good, that's enough
it was voted in japan as 4th metal record of the year.
8/10 nice to have

Metal Crusade 99

This one was to celebrate the 20th anniversary of some of the best groups of NWOBHM.

Praying Mantis
Tank
Trespass
Samson

It is a live record, japanese one, of course, who are the countries who has always supported this kind of music, and make them feel as the real rock stars they are ?

Praying mantis offer a set list based in the timeless time tells no lies.
Trespass set includes the 2 great songs: one of these days and stormchild. Though I liked very much Visionary Dreams.
Tank and Samson are still a bit unknown to me, musically speaking, i need to heard them a bit more. But This Means War is included.

8/10 indispensable for nwobmh fans

Captured Alive in Tokyo City

This is Praying Mantis official live album from 96.
It was not easy to get this one since it is a 2cd limited japanese edition, and it is a nice one since it comes in a slip case with several booklets and cards.
It also was released in dvd, but in this one the content is cut. At least it has 6 bonus videos, including borderline, can't see the angels, only the children cry, letting go, this time girl. These ones justify the dvd alone. And it was even harder to get than the 2cd.

Well, let's go to the music. The singer is Gary Barden. I really think he did not fit (his voice) very well in Mantis legacy, and probably To the power of ten is the worst Mantis record. And this live record is based on TTPOT tour, so ...
Anyway, the majority of the songs here are great. Victory, Cry for the new world, Can't see the angels, Only the children cry, Welcome to my hollywood, turn the tables, Cheated, Letting go, Lovers to the grave ... and Captured city.
Just seeing that the tour recorded would have been from the following record ... That would have been incredible.
Anyway, anyhow, it is a nice package.

10/10 for the video, mantis fans only.

8/10 for the record, again mantis/nwobhm fans only.

Predator in disguise

I remember buying this record, as it was yesterday... Why? It was friday, after my first work week. And this record was my first gift i made myself for my first job.
Can't see the angels is a great melodic anthem to begin with. a classic. she's hot, i do not like it, and can't wait forever is somehow weak... but then it comes this time girl, and the great time slipping away. 2 great rock songs which will give way to a real nice ballad, listen what your heart says. this ballad got me haunted for some time. i found it really fantastic and beautiful.
still want you and the instrumental the horn are good enough, and then we will finish with 2 more gems: battle royal and borderline. you can guess their theme.
i read in an interview with chris troy that one main theme that is always present in mantis is death. no matter is love, no matter is death, no matter is whatever, as long as the songs are good, no matter what. and praying mantis signature for me is always i can trust at.

it is a solid record, not super-rocker, not extra-softer, but something in-between. great hard rock

9/10 great to have

nowhere to hide

i simply hate when japanese versions have more tracks than the one i have :-(
there are some records in which the bonus tracks are not only bonus but really the best song of the whole record, so it is indispensable getting the japanese version. in this case, tables are turned.
naked is one of the best songs praying mantis ever recorded, and the version in this european release is the best. emotinal, powerful, touches your feelings deep inside. it is difficult to express in words what this song is able to show...
few songs have the hability to let your feelings show so much ... straight from the heart. this only song could make the record worth enough, but fortunately there are still 9 more tracks :-D
nowhere to hide deserves also its place on the best songs of the record. strong and powerful.
whenever i'm lost is the ballad, and it is quite nice. cruel winter, clocktower, can't stop the fire, future of the world ... strong songs, melodic, the songs you can expect from praying mantis, high above from average, of course ;-), if not i would be very disappointed.
for me this record is not as impressive as forever in time, but a good follow up. tony sings brilliantly and compositions are praying mantis signature (stratton/troy/troy). enough said!

10/10 brilliant

the journey goes on

the last one from praying mantis... no more tony o'hora on it ... :-(
sad, but as the champions said, show must go on ... and the team troy brothers plus dennis is good enough. 2 vocalist hired: doogie white & john sloman, and the song that i like most (if tomorrow never comes) is not sung by either, but by chris. chris & tino are not new in singing, they sing in time & predator, and their voice is more than acceptable.

tonight, the escape & the journey goes on, are good examples of mantis still rocks. all the songs, nevertheless are very good, though for me can not top the incredible forever in time.
beast within is inspired in james bulger history
Naked was, maybe, the best song that Tino has ever written. When i first heard it in Nowhere to hide, i thought wow!, and after going through the lyrics i wanted to cry too, but this version, thought it seems the authors like it more, i do not. in this one the feelings do not show as they did in the other version. the original was ab-so-lu-te-ly outstanding.
the rest of the songs are real good, so the record is ... really good? though i do not think it will make it as a classic

9/10 brilliant

Time tells no Lies

An impressive record, it really does not seem 26 years have already gone ...
From nwobhm roots, Troy brothers with Steve Carroll and Dave Pots entered in music history as Praying Mantis with this piece of vinyl. One only cover song from Ray Davis, and personally i think it is the worst of this record, and it is not a bad one.
But the rest are all classics: cheated -the single-, running for tomorrow, the ballad lovers to the grave, beads of ebony, rich city kinds, children of the earth are amongst the best songs, making the record an indispensable one for all of the melodic metal. It has been also called pomp rock.. Well, I can't say why ;-)
the Mantis style is mainly melodic, there are no many ballads, just one in this record, but are soul touching ones...

As every good record it is impossible to find, except in ebay, and sometimes at really high prices. at least, it is worth. It is not my all-time favourite, which is Forever in time, a truly perfect record, but it is really enjoyable if you wanna rock. I mean, for me melody & composition are indispensable, and good solos make a song to be a memorable one or not. This is only high class.

One of the best nwobhm records from all-time, that is for sure ;-)

10/10 indispensable

Forever in time

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

Escape into the sun

One of the first and biggest surprises which come from '06. I knew the record was going to be good, since Tony O'hora singing is hq, for me it is one of the best voices... but never expected that could reach the status of Forever in time, one of my all-time favourite records. A great surprise :-D
Broken soul, i do not know how many times i've had heard it :-),
escape into the sun, never alone -the only ballad-, black wings, more than we know, no more innocence, evil love ... all perfect hard rock.
Credit well deserved not only to Tony who sings brilliantly but the mastermind which wrote, composed, played and produced all the songs, Magnus Karlsson. Incredible work, hard rock first class really!!


10/10 brilliant