  MANIMAL are from Gothenburg and have nothing in common with any TALISMAN offshoot. The band consists of high pitched vocalist Samuel Nyman, brothers Richard and Peter Mentzer on drum and bass respectively, and guitarist Henrik Stenroos. The info mentions the influential Gothenburg metal and the words hard and melodic. Well don´t bother too much with Gothenburg, turn your eyes towards Seattle because this is way more amusing.
The first feature I notice are Samuel´s similarities to a certain Geoff Tate. The second is that the melodies stand out and the third is that beneath the melody it is quite heavy. The lads spent most of 2008 in the studio, and the result is an eyebrow-raiser. They also prove the catchiness in churning heaviness, which is a fact in the title track. The crunchy melodies and Samuel´s vocals will take this unit places. It is old-fashioned and trendy at the same time. The chorus of “I Am” makes me smile, it is so 1989. Another reminder of what Seattle has lost since the early nineties comes along as “Ordinary Man” starts. The progressive touches seem ubiquitous, not sporadic as was stated in the info. But the best remains, “Dreamers and Fools” is a melodic piece of greatness, almost Eurovision Song Contest material with its contagious refrain. Album closer “The Life We Lived” finally mix in a tad of good ol´ IRON MAIDEN. I bet these guys can do solid IRON MAIDEN covers if persuaded. All in all, and without record company backing, this is is definitely one of later years most interesting Swedish debuts.
Track list
Shadow
The Dark Room
Living Dead
I Am
Ordinary Man
Human Nature
Spinegrinder
Dreamers and Fools
The Life We Lived
www.manimal.se www.border.se
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