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Praying Mantis: Sanctuary

Melodic Hard Rock

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Frontiers Records
www.praying-mantis.com
www.myspace.com/prayingmantisrock
Review: Craig Hartranft,  06.14.2009

Praying Mantis is another enduring musical adventure from our friends in the UK. Their history goes deep into early 1980's NWOBHM, but since then their roots are pure melodic hard rock. Sanctuary is their ninth studio album in a nearly three decade career. Sanctuary is a tour-de-force of prime melodic hard rock in the greatest tradition which now is mostly found across the pond. Even though Praying Mantis and most traditional melodic hard rock may be lost in the fickle musical climate of America, Sanctuary, though hardly perfect, is still an exemplary example of the the best the genre can offer.

Praying Mantis offers both brilliant and conventional, meaning traditional in a very good way, melodic rock on Sanctuary. They are not reinventing the wheel here. Sanctuary is characterized by passionate lead vocals, grand vocal arrangements, a solid rhythm section, and slick guitar solos: all these are ingredients that make for basic melodic hard rock. This is not a bad thing.

Praying Mantis presents their best work on Tears In The Rain, So High, and Threshold Of A Dream. Sometimes their offerings becomes standard, awash in the predictable, as on Touch The Rainbow, Highway, or Playing God, which is only saved by the guitar solo. Yet, in the end, Sanctuary is a moving, and often versatile, album of melodic hard rock. It's good stuff in a grand tradition. I liked it and believe fans of traditional melodic hard rock should jump on board. Quite recommended!

Sanctuary is a moving, and often versatile, album of melodic hard rock. It's good stuff in a grand tradition. I liked it and believe fans of traditional melodic hard rock should jump on board.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]