Mantra
- With Bound Fists
Having been amazed by their performance on the
Scuzz
stage at Bloodstock, thought it was about time I reviewed
their CD.
-
Choke. Chunky opening
riff powers the song along in a classic rock meets stoner
way. The guitar solo is superb, underpinned solidly by the
drums and bass. Great choice for an opening track.
-
Drowning Slow. Another
cracking riff. Great dynamics throughout, the pauses are very
effective (especially live). Chugs along forcefully and contains
another quality solo.
-
Judas. By now it has become
evident that this band can really write a riff! The complexity
of this track is made to sound very simple; listen to the
drum and bass patterns and be astonished. Equally astonishing
is that they can reproduce this live as a three piece band.
The bass driven pre-chorus works well and the vocals have
a great tone.
-
Way Of Life. Choppier
guitar intro to this one. Kick drumming is used sparingly
but is very effective. Musically it's sound, this track is
good but not quite as strong as the tracks that precede it.
-
River Of Blood. Another
cracking lead off riff. More of the same, sounds familiar
yet fresh at the same time.
-
You Are The One. Opens
with a very heavy and powerful doom section which leads into
one of their trademark power riffs. The overall sound is a
bit thin during the solo.
Overall thoughts? The production is crisp and
showcases what a talent they possess. It's well played throughout
and the clean vocals make a pleasant change. They use the tried
and trusted ABACAB formula for their songs yet they are never
dull. This is no frills old school rock given a modern twist,
and it works phenomenally well. The new album is due soon - I
have a feeling it will do well. Mantra remain one of my tips to
break through in 2009, on the strength of this CD it's only a
matter of time before they are huge.
