PRAYING MANTIS
“Katharsis”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Praying Mantis are a heavy metal band from the UK formed in 1973 by the Troy brothers – Tino (guitar) and Chris (bass), and were one of the bands that spearheaded the iconic NWOBHM evolution during the eighties. And while the band never gained the meteoric heights of their peers such as Saxon, Def Leppard, and Iron Maiden, the band, along with the likes of Samson, Angel Witch, and Raven, played a prominent role in the development of British heavy metal. Enjoying a forty year plus career, Praying Mantis continue to tour, and release new music – although the bands style has moved into a more melodic hard rock direction rather than the heavy metal one of their early years.

‘Katharsis’ is the bands twelfth album – following ‘Time Tells No Lies’ (1981), ‘Throwing Shapes’ (1984), ‘Predator In Disguise’ (1991), ‘A Cry For The New World’ (1993), ‘To The Power Of Ten’ (1995), ‘Forever In Time’ (1998), ‘Nowhere To Hide’ (2000), ‘The Journey Goes On’ (2003), ‘Sanctuary’ (2009), ‘Legacy’ (2015), and ‘Gravity’ (2018) – and is a meaty slab of muscular rock. Highly melodic with touches of AOR and the aura of stadium rock, the founding duo of Tino and Chris, along with vocalist John ‘Jaycee’ Cuijpers, guitarist Andy Burgess, and drummer Hans in’t Zandt, bombastically power through the eleven songs on offer. And if you’re looking for infectious, heavy hitting yet soothing hard rock, you’ve definitely come to the right place – ‘Katharsis’, by iconic legends Praying Mantis, is a perfect fit. The band launch their latest opus with the majestic belter ‘Cry For The Nations’ – a sparkling mellow build up leading into a crescendo of heavy hitting hard rock. Melodic to the max, ‘Cry For The Nations’ is up tempo, full of energy, and features a sing a long style chorus that resembles a bit of a war cry, a call to arms if you like that everyone, and I mean everyone, can sing a long to.

Even after four decades, the band are rocking much harder than most of the bands half their age! Praying Mantis, just like many other bands out of the eighties that pioneered metal and rock, are more than just legends…they are an institution. And this institution ain’t done yet – the sound of stadium rock filling the air, as the band break open their arsenal of rock with the AOR come balladry of ‘Closer To Heaven’. The big riffing, bombastic nature reminds me a little of American rock icons Van Halen – the majestic swagger, the all consuming feeling of happiness, and the infectious party rock vibe. And I have to admit, although I didn’t want to, Praying Mantis are no longer a metal band, they are now a hard rock band! ‘Ain’t No Rock N Roll In Heaven’ has a touch of the legendary AC/DC boogie about it. The party feel, the infectious rhythm, and the addictive melody, coupled with the songs ability to involuntarily nod heads and tap feet, ‘Ain’t No Rock N Roll In Heaven’ is one of the hardest rocking hard rock songs I’ve heard in some time. Cor blimey guv’nor, just what ‘ave this group of diamond geezers been drinkin’?

Without a dip in the sky high energy levels, the album moves on with ‘Non Omnis Moriar’ – Latin for “not all of me will die”. And to be honest, not all of the band will die, for their music will live on forever. And while ‘Non Omnis Moriar’ remains rooted in the hard rock genre, it is the hardest, and nearest to the bands metal roots that the album has so far gotten. It’s a little quicker and heavier, and has just the tiniest glimpse of the iconic “foot on the monitor” feel. And oh man, the party feel just got more rowdy – ‘Long Time Coming’ stirring in the Southern rock swagger along with a touch o’ the blues. The infectious level has just zoomed right off the fucking chart with this one, the band pounding harder than ever. The smile on my face has just got wider – it was wide before, but now it’s wider than the Grand Canyon! Oh alright, you got me, it’s a descriptive exaggeration, but surely you get the point!

And as ‘Katharsis’ moves into its second half, the tempo, energy, and pizzazz, have all been top notch – the band now drifting into power ballad territory with ‘Sacrifice’. Now is the time for lighters to be held aloft, with gentle swaying from side to side. For ‘Sacrifice’ is an incredible piece of balladry – something I wouldn’t normally say of a metal band! But then I have to keep reminding myself, that Praying Mantis are now a rock band, and have left their heavy metal days far, far behind them. And something else I thought I would never say, but my first impression after hearing ‘Wheels In Motion’ – “this sounds a bit like Chris Rea”. Yea I know right! But the sound is just so similar to the British rock and blues singer, song writer, and guitarist. Anyway, back to Praying Mantis and ‘Wheels In Motion’ – a radio friendly melodic rock song. Keeping the melodic rock flowing, but with much more weight behind it, ‘Masquerade’ is a majestic, tall and proud, thumper. And no, I don’t mean the fictional comical rabbit from the animated film Bambi (first released in 1942)…I mean thumper, as in fists punching the air, hammer blows, or the sound a running elephants feet make as they pound the ground! A thumper!

The thumping, or pounding rock, that is the prominent feature of ‘Katharsis’, doesn’t let up in any way shape or form, the album rocking on with ‘Find Our Way Back Home’. Blending ballad and hymn-like tendencies, ‘Find Our Way Back Home’ is one of those later in the evening disco numbers, that after all the energetic guys and gals have thrown their shapes on the dance floor, it’s now time for the more romantically inclined couples to get up, hold each other tight, and start to slow dance the night away. Although your slow dance might just have to wait a few more minutes, ‘Don’t Call Us Now’ has the feel of a dance hall big number. And no, I’m not that old you cheeky buggers! It was my parents that were into that sort of thing. I’m a metal head through and through – and a softie for a good hard rock album. And that’s exactly what we have here. Well, maybe great is a more exact description – from one of the great bands from the world of metal and rock. The band end their twelfth offering with ‘The Devil Never Changes’ – the longest song on the album, clocking in at six and a half minutes in length! The thumping style of rock re-emerges, along with every other influence the band have woven into each and every song. The passion, the energy, and the hard rocking nature – Praying Mantis are showing everyone else, young, old and new, just how to deliver top shelf hard rock that is both infectious and memorable.

Overall, a superb album of melodic hard rock from one of the greatest pioneering metal and rock bands ever.

TRACKLIST

Cry For The Nations
Closer To Heaven
Ain’t No Rock N Roll In Heaven
Non Omnis Moriar
Long Time Coming
Sacrifice
Wheels In Motion
Masquerade
Find Our Way Back Home
Don’t Call Us Now
The Devil Never Changes

https://www.prayingmantis.rocks/
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