8 Deadly Sins

For some reason I had difficulty getting into 8 Deadly Sins and Manticora in general. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it’s the vocalist, or the way the sound first struck me as generic (which is false) and hard to get a grasp on. Anyway, it took me a great deal of time to come to a final verdict, but I believe I’m there now. Following in the footsteps of Manticora’s last album, 8 Deadly Sins is another concept album, which has an effect on how the album is composed. The transition from song to song is perfect – everything feels like a seamless story, creating a feeling of “wholeness”, which is a strength for a concept album and any album. More often than not, I find myself reading the lyrics while listening, losing track of time with no clue as to which track that is currently playing.

You can expect classic Manticora, as things haven’t changed much in their sound. If you didn’t like them before, don’t expect to get into them now. Fans will probably view 8 Deadly Sins as a highlight of their career, though. The first two songs are essential as they’re a great introduction to the album (and story) and successfully establish an atmosphere and mood that’s representative for the whole album. I can’t say that they’re the highlights because 8 Deadly Sins shows tremendous consistency from start to finish. Pointing out individual songs in a track-by-track review is fairly pointless. The album is best seen as a whole.

8 Deadly Sins was my first Manticora album, and my initial impression was that Manticora is your typical power metal band, but as the disc goes on, the more apparent it becomes that Manticora is so much more than that. There are elements of progressive metal, speed metal and the rhythm section sounds occasionally very thrashy, which makes this an impressive blend of styles. The foundation is clearly power metal though, with an emphasis on the power. This intriguing and successful blend of styles is what sets Manticora apart from other power metal bands and essentially pushes them to the top of the genre.

The band touches on so many good points that it’s amazing how they manage to pull it all off - a feat that is all the more impressive considering how complex the music is. They succeed in creating a sound that’s dark and moody, yet serious and engaging at the same time. It’s intense and the musicianship is flawless. Did I mention epic? There are many ingredients and influences present here, but the sound is Manticora’s for sure, which is enviable in a world of power metal clones. “Mainstream”, “generic” and “conventional” are associations the band avoids with finesse and intelligence.

Comparing to their earlier albums, this is clearly their best work. It’s their most intense, focused and well-written endeavour and I’m certain that in a few years from now, it’ll be considered a classic. The band’s (and the album’s) only weakness is that for some inexplicable reason their music is inaccessible and just plain hard to get into. I hope it won’t stand too much in their way because Manticora is an underrated, unknown, and absolutely fantastic band, boasting a spectacular discography.

Yep. The masters are "back". And the most impressive part is that they're as good as before, and they don't stick to the same old stuff - they keep the same recipe, but their riffs are different and new. This sounds similar to "Darkness With Tales to Tell", but in the same time it's totally different, let me explain. Most fans will like Manticora for their very dark side, and for their thrashy and melodic riffs, and all of the above is still in this album: Half Thrash, and half Power. They still do that, but all their riffs are changed, they're different, but the songs always keep their dark tone.

Just like their other works, or Darkness with Tales to Tell, this album doesn't really have a stand-out track, as in all of the songs are pure riffage. I can just put my player on random for hours with this album playing and i'll always be satisfied. The riffs vary so much, they never get old. Of course the thrashy riff always make you wanna get up and start headbanging forever, as usual. The drums are excellent as usual, without trying anything too new or trying to cover up the riffs. The same goes for the keyboard, they're there, but they never try to hide the talent that the guitarist has. This album still has the frighteningly amazing speedy guitar solos also.

Well, it really is that simple, just like the other Manticora albums: Pure and amazing riffage from start to end. Another legendary Power metal album that will go down in its genres' hall of fame...

I've been a fan of Manticora for a while now...ever since I picked up the album "Darkness with Tales to Tell". The main thing that instantly drew me in was the atmosphere that this band creates in their music. 8 Deadly Sins is no exception. This release has a very dark underlying atmosphere, quite possibly the most dark and sinister power metal release I've heard.

The album starts off qith the intro "If?". It immediately sets off the mood of the album, telling about a man on his death bed reflecting back on his life. He recalls many of the things he has done, thinking about how he led his life. As soon as this track gets you drawn into the atmosphere of the album, "King of the Absurd" starts off and pulls you even deeper into it. This track has some of the most creative guitar work I've ever heard. It may not be overly complex, but it sure as hell impressed me.

Another highlight of the album is "Melancholic". This is more along the lines of what you would hear on the earlier two albums. Fast thrash riffage with tight drumming to go along with it, this is something anyone can enjoy. The keyboards are there, like always, but they serve as more of a tool to create atmospheric elements, rather than a key instrument. Don't get me wrong, however, the keyboard is a very essential part to this album, as it sets the whole mood.

While I could go on and review every single track of this album, I'm not going to, as track by track reviews are generally annoying.Everything about this album has impressed me, Manticora has out done themselves yet again. While this album is not as aggresive as "Hyperion", they have shown a lot more artistic expression on this album. All I can say is that if anyone reading this is a fan of Manticora, or just thrash and power metal in general should DEFINITELY pick this one up! I can gurantee that you will not be disappointed.