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”!
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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.

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