Album Review

Manichae – Brotherhood

• 21st Feb 2008

Fans of Nirvanas Love Buzz should appreciate this opening track from Brotherhood, the latest EP from ever active, newly reformed and already acclaimed Nottingham rockers Manichae. Aside from its credible sound, pace, execution and production values, ‘Surrounded’ simply kicks ass, rawks and most importantly, resists the urge to be self indulgent on what could‘ve been a most outrageous guitar solo, making this a strong and well balanced starter, along with a vocal that stirs fond memories of one Mike Patton…oh yeah!!!

‘Sister’ revisits Smashing Pumpkins’ Today, in a thankfully composed and restricted manner but, before the alarm bells bounce around your cranium, consider this…its kick ass too! Despite its insignificant lack of imagination, the track stands up in its own right with it’s seemingly stripped down and reconstructed sound so, it’s another undeniable success of a track. And did I mention it’s kick ass?

Title track ‘Brotherhood’ follows, touching upon the subject of war, a tired and perhaps disengaging topic given the worlds current climate, but let’s overlook that for the time being, shall we? Only wafer thin (I do love Monty Python) hints of Metallica to report this time, which it has to be said are quickly overlooked too, as our collective focus surely strays to a nifty piece of guitar work that’s almost enough to make me miss the fact that this track sadly offers up nothing new throughout its entire 4 minute duration as it chooses instead to stick to its safe and nonetheless fantastic formula.

Closing on ‘2 Songs’, a track that features a notably whinier vocal that suffers for its delivery that’s perhaps just too urgent or rushed, before happening on a regretful drawn out vocal verse closing. A great opening verse is somehow invalidated by a directionless intro before the track takes on a life of its own and soars into dizzy heights once discovered by the likes of Alice in Chains. By the end of this track, any shortcomings are left in the past, far beyond what proves to be one heck of an escalating and energetic track.

So, to summarize then, well…when Manichae apply their own sound, which is certainly in the making throughout here, and apply it to their own inarguably great songs (forgiving the contrived/cheesy mutterings at the close of each track), what’s gonna stop ‘em? Not the stay puft marshmallow man I’ll wager!

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