MANTICORA — Safe (review)

MANTICORA — Safe album cover Album · 2010 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Warthur
MMA Reviewer's Challenge: Album selected by DippoMagoo.

Manticora's Safe is perhaps the heaviest, scariest thing I’ve ever heard which can still call itself power metal, with excellent opener In the Abyss of Desperation introducing the listener both to the band’s crushing, galloping riffs, mild symphonic touches to spice things up, and the unique vocal style of lead vocalist Lars Larsen, which manages to sound simultaneously powerfully operatic and weirdly fragile, like it could give out at any moment.

I particularly like the fact that the band really show an appreciation of the speed metal roots of power metal and bring that influence out to play in their work. Looking at the track lengths you may - not incorrectly - expect the band to indulge in some prog-influenced long-form song structures. (There’s a sort of Wagnerian chant bit partway into the title track that really gets the goosebumps rising.) But don’t be fooled; this is a rough, tough album which will smash you over the head with the band’s wild compositions.

Though I think the album slumps in a little, overall this is a solid release which prompts me to look deeper into Manticora's discograpy. If this is “Safe”, I’d tremble to hear what Manticora think constitutes “Danger”!
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
Nightfly wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Like the sound of that - will check them out very soon.
Warthur wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I'll see how I like 8 Deadly Sins, that seems to be a fan favourite.
666sharon666 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I've got the two Black Circus albums and like them but haven't heard this one yet.
Unitron wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Good review, sounds interesting. I'll have to check this out, nice pick Travis!
adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
This is one band that I've had on my radar to check out for absolute years now (maybe even a whole decade by this point) but never got around to.
DippoMagoo wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Yeah, I selected this album because it shows the dark and brutal side of power metal, while still being melodic and still feeling like a power metal album.

This actually is Manticora's hardest hitting album, despite the name, though they've always been somewhat heavy. Their early works were more traditional Euro power, then Hyperion introduced the dark power/prog sound they've become known for, 8 Deadly Sins stepped it up and hit the perfect balance between their melodic and heavy side and is my favorite, and the two part The Black Circus is probably their darkest, most complex work to date. All their albums are very good, imo.

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 6 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed