Named after the popular supporting character in the classic 1980s film Scarface, Manny Ribera are a four-piece band from Sweden who play a retro '70s meets '90s rock. Their new self-titled CD finds them on Transubstans Records, not surprising given the labels penchant for finding solid Scandinavian bands who toil in classic sounds. Many of the songs here are short and bouncy, with some vintage hard rock riffs mixing with vocals straight out of the grunge era. Janes Addiction, Alice in Chains, The Cult, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and Iggy Pop & the Stooges all come to mind at various times during the album, so while that doesn't lend itself to much originality to be found here, the results are often quite fun & engaging. Tracks such as "Lagerboy" and "The King of Rock" combine melody with hard rocking intensity, while "Stop & Pray" and "Superficial Gun" mesh stoner rock aggressiveness with a touch of prog for an intriguing listen. None of the cuts ever get too heavy (though "Straitjacket On" comes close, in a Led Zeppelin sort of way), and there's a pop sensibility that Manny Ribera seem to have command of that makes it seem like these guys might have been a bit of a hit in the mid '90s. What that does for them here in 2014 remains to be seen, but this is a solid album nonetheless that is well worth a few listens.
Track Listing
01 Into The Great Unknown
02 Kissed The Sun
03 Make Sure Not To Fall
04 If I Lose
05 Stop & Pray
06 Lagerboy
07 The King Of Rock
08 Superficial Gun
09 Walk Alone
10 Dead Eyes
11 Straitjacket On
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
