by Justin Gaines
– Sr. Columnist —
Swedish Heavy/Power Metal band Manimal is back after a six-year absence with their second album, titled Trapped in the Shadows. That title is actually a pretty fitting summary of the band’s trajectory up to this point. Their 2009 debut The Darkest Room was a solid enough album, but the band never really emerged as a force in the crowded power metal scene the way bands like Brainstorm and Primal Fear have. Given the time that has passed and the relative obscurity of the debut, Trapped in the Shadows is almost a reintroduction to Manimal.
As reintroductions go, Trapped in the Shadows definitely makes a good (second) impression, capturing the best elements of the power and traditional metal sounds in a tight, filler-free collection of songs. It sounds like the steel-studded love child of Primal Fear and Saxon, with hints of those classic later Urban Breed-era Tad Morose albums. The songs are wickedly melodic, satisfyingly heavy and never once fade into the background. Samual Nyman’s piercing scream recalls Ralf Scheepers, cutting like a knife and adding major doses of power to the anthemic “March of Madness,” “Invincible” and “Screaming Out,” and Henrik Stenroos’s guitar work is every bit as deadly. Label-mate Udo Dirkschneider lends his instantly recognizable pipes to “The Journey,” making it another highlight of this beast of an album.
In this day and age, it’s almost unheard of to see a Power Metal album clock in at ten songs and just 50 minutes, but there is literally zero filler on Trapped in the Shadows. When you have ten songs this powerful and memorable, tacking on introductory or instrumental tracks or even a cover just to pad the album simply isn’t necessary.
If you’re one of the faithful Manimal fans and enjoyed their debut, you’re obviously going to love Trapped in the Shadows. If you’re new to the band, or you weren’t exactly wowed by The Darkest Room, this album is going to put your jaw on the floor. Manimal holds their own with recent releases by Saxon, Primal Fear and Brainstorm here, and as a result Trapped in the Shadows is an early contender for best Power Metal album of 2016.
Genre: Power Metal, Heavy Metal
Lineup:
Samual Nyman (v)
Henrik Stenroos (g)
Andre Holmqvist (d)
Kenny Boufadene (b) (v)
Track Listing:
1. Irresistible
2. March of Madness
3. The Dark
4. Trapped in the Shadows
5. Invincible
6. Man-Made Devil
7. Silent Messiah
8. The Journey
9. Screaming Out
10. Psychopomp
Label: AFM Records
Website: www.facebook.com/manimalofficial
Hardrock Haven Rating: 9/10
