It’s hard to believe but this year marks the 50th anniversary since the day when the Troy brothers made the decision to form a band called Praying Mantis! Granted their first official album came out in the early 80’s and is now considered a classic in the NWOBHM genre but we all know that the glory days of Mantis were in the 90’s with records that have stood the test of time and which the boys stubbornly ignore at their live shows. Oh well…let’s see what the new album brings to the table…
I want to be clear right from the start: ‘Defiance’ is by far the best album Praying Mantis have released with John Cuijpers behind the mic and I can happily point out that Mantis is musically embracing, once again, their classic style. Melodies, twin guitar solos, catchy choruses and remarkable compositions that have more in common with albums like “Sanctuary” and why not “Nowhere To Hide” than with their three previous releases…and that can only be a good thing. I was particularly impressed by the fact that even though most of the compositions are in mid-tempo rhythms, it doesn’t get tiring at all…quite the opposite, in fact. The studio performance is truly flawless, and I repeat that all the tracks have something to say, and they are quite memorable. Finally, it’s worth noting that in “Defiance” we also find a cover of “I Surrender” a track that could have changed the history and course of Praying Mantis if they had recorded it back in 1981.
All in all, “Defiance” is a classic Praying Mantis album. It is the album that all long-time fans of the band have been waiting and wanting to hear. All that’s left now is to convince them that the Mantis’ catalogue is not restricted exclusively to their debut…right? The Praying Mantis fans want to listen to the live shows more songs from the 90s albums and of course now…from the new record!
Highlight: Quite striking and fitting cover artwork.
