Manimal: The Darkest Room

Although they were formed in Gothenburg in 2001, The Darkest Room is Manimal's debut album. What having to wait 8 years for that first release would appear to have done, is to ensure that what we have here is a surprisingly assured and confident set of power metal songs.

With a sound that manages to mix the standard European metal feel of someone like Dream Evil, without those comic book lyrics, with the slightly more abrasive American approach of Cloudscape. Add to that touches of Queensryche and Crimson Glory and then imagine it all played by Tony Iommi during the Dio years and you will get some idea of where Manimal are coming from.

"Spinegrinder" is a prime example of the Iommi like guitar work with a menacing repetitive riff that just oozes with evil intent; it's an excellent song with a chorus line that will have you receiving strange looks from passersby as you sing "Spinegrinder" over and over, and time and again Henrik Stenroos comes up with excellent riffs and lead breaks.

If Stenroos is impressive then wait until you get a load of vocalist Samuel Nyman. He has an amazing range which includes a piercing, forcing falsetto similar to Tony Mills or the much missed Midnight of Crimson Glory. Admittedly it is a weapon which is sometimes over used, "Ordinary Man" sees Nyman virtually scream his way through the majority of the song, however when he tones it down a bit and mixes it with the stunningly strong low end vocal he possesses then he is a genuinely tremendous singer.

While the afore mentioned "Ordinary Man" doesn't have the strongest vocal on the album, it still has some mighty fine musicianship on offer, drummer Richard Mentzer flurries round the kit, yet keeps the thumping beat like a human metronome, while his brother Pether on bass knows when to mix things up and when to keep things simple.

Together Richard, Penther and Stenroos make a formidable, heavy team and when you add Nyman's often stunning vocals into the mix then the majority of The Darkest Room is accomplished and polished.

There are no real weak tracks on the album, although special mention must go to "Shadows" with its Queensryche duelling with Sabbath like guitar and Nyman on top form, the mid paced title track where Nyman adds a little Dio sneer to his phrasing and "Dreamers and Fools" with its tearing guitars and bass married to machine gun snare and soaring vocals. Excellent though these songs are they are all put in the shade by "Spinegrinder" with its awesome guitar and hook laden chorus.

Manimal are not quite the finished article yet, however The Darkest Room is an impressive starting point and I will be looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

Track list:
1. Shadows
2. The Darkest Room
3. Living Dead
4. I Am
5. Ordinary Man
6. Human Nature
7. Spinegrinder
8. Dreamers And Fools
9. The Life We Lived

Added: January 6th 2010
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 3571
Language: english

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