Manilla Road - Mysterium [Shadow Kingdom Records, 2013]

Manilla Road - Mysterium [Shadow Kingdom Records, 2013]

Release Date: February 1^st, 2013

  

The legends of Heavy Metal from Wichita, Kansas are back with their new “child”. The new record of Manilla Road is named “Mysterium” and it is the first one with the bands new drummer, Neudi and their new bass player Josh Castillo. Manilla Road are a band that really leaves you wondering about their upcoming releases, because they can really easily jump from theme to theme and from style to style, a thing that costs you some fans but also gains you some others. The fact is that the band has been delivering Heavy Metal for a little more than 35 years (with a small break) and they’re also one of the first and most important bands of the underground scene, still recording, still giving great gigs, still around in every sense of the word. And that alone says a lot.

The first thing I notice about their new record is that it has a lot of aggressiveness, much like their bands previous record “Playground Of The Damned”. Actually, the post-2000 Manilla Road, sound like their constantly changing their style. Their sound throughout all their latest releases is really hard to describe with just a label. It seems like they try to blend all the elements that the band had presented in their past releases, from epic to thrash and from prog to much darker riffs and melodies. “Mysterium” takes off exactly where “Playground…” left us. Bryan’s vocals are much smoother and more similar to Mark Shelton’s and at some points; I could say that it is somehow hard to tell which one is singing. Josh and Neudi have also done a very decent job on the record, considering that this is their first recording with Manilla Road. “Mysterium” is one of those records that grow inside you, like most of the bands releases. After all, Mark Shelton is not a musician who is recording cheesy stuff for the big arenas, but only for the true lovers of Heavy Metal music. What I also like about this record, is that it has a lot of groovy riffs which also blend perfectly with Bryan’s vocals. Mark Shelton voice sounds somehow mellow in songs like “The Battle of Bonchester Bridge” and “The Fountain” (which I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live), but instead of leaving you with a sad feeling, he leaves you stronger and with more hope towards anything. Much like the song “Art Of War” in their previous album.

Finally, this is a fine release from Manilla Road and much similar to their previous one, with a much better touch on the production though. It is a very heavy and solid album, with faster as well as darker moments. Bryan Patrick and Mark Shelton are beyond great throughout the record. I’ve come to terms with the constant changes in the band’s style and I like almost all their releases so far. Many fans tend to judge new albums by instantly comparing them to the masterpieces of the band which is wrong. Every album has something else, something new to say. I think that in this record the band combines every single style that they’ve played during the past and the outcome is indeed very good.

Tracklist:

01) The Grey God Passes

02) Stand Your Ground

03) The Battle of Bonchester Bridge

04) Hermitage

05) Do What Thou Will

06) Only The Brave

07) Hallowed Be Thy Grave

08) The Fountain

09) The Calling

10) Mysterium

Manilla Road Lineup:

Mark Shelton – Guitars, Vocals

Bryan “Hellroadie” Patrick - Vocals

Josh Castillo - Bass

Neudi - Drums

Contact Links:

http://www.manillaroad.net/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/6207831666/

Links with review posted:

https://www.facebook.com/Neudi666/posts/590236727660191
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=162380903909389&id=222505821165293

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