NWOBHM legends Praying Mantis are back with their eleventh studio album, Gravity, their third for Frontiers Records and second with lead vocalist John 'Jaycee' Cuijpers, who debuted on their fine 2015 release Legacy. Along with Tino Troy (guitars, vocals), Chris Troy (bass, vocals), Andy Burgess (guitars, vocals), and Hans In 't Zandt (drums), the Mantis have once again put together another strong effort of hard rock & melodic AOR that their fans will easily gobble up with delight.
Things kick off with the energetic "Keep It Alive", a rousing hard rock anthem packed with chugging guitars, keys, and Cuijpers' potent Graham Bonnett styled vocal delivery. "Mantis Anthem" is pretty catchy, as is the ballady "Time Can Heal", but things really start to get interesting with "39 Years", a bubbling rocker with hooks aplenty and some super crunchy guitars. The title cut also packs quite a punch, Chris' bass thick and velvety alongside some tasty twin guitars, while "Ghost of the Past" has touches of prog rock to it thanks to some inventive keyboard passages (not sure who is playing them here) and soaring lead vocals. "Destiny in Motion" is a can't miss melodic rocker (man, can these guys write hooks or what!), and "Shadow of Love" plays out like a long lost Journey track, complete with addicting hooks and crisp instrumentation.
Though a mighty fine effort, Gravity doesn't quite pack the same punch as its predecessor due to the inclusion of a few too many softer pop numbers, but even those are quite solid overall and help make this latest Praying Mantis offering a classy affair. Check it out.
Track Listing
01 KEEP IT ALIVE 6:01
02 MANTIS ANTHEM 6:35
03 TIME CAN HEAL 3:41
04 39 YEARS 4:16
05 GRAVITY 5:44
06 GHOSTS OF THE PAST 5:04
07 DESTINY IN MOTION 5:11
08 THE LAST SUMMER 4:38
09 FOREIGN AFFAIR 6:34
10 SHADOW OF LOVE 4:44
11 FINAL DESTINATION 5:20
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