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MANACLE
No Fear To Persevere…

No Remorse (2018)
Rating: 7.5/10

Running for just under half-an-hour, No Fear To Persevere… is a relatively short debut offering from Canadian metallers Manacle. But right from the off this is a steely experience that’s hard to ignore, and if you like solid 80s styled metal then this will be right up your street.

Opener ‘Fight For Your Life’ is a strong, engaging gallop of study guitar workmanship as the combo hints strongly at a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal groove mixed with even darker, gothic strains. The vocal display of Kevin Pereira is almost Messiah Marcolin (ex-Candlemass) at times, as the mournful wails echo of the old, creaky walls of the nearest tavern and wisp themselves away up some murky cobbled side street.

Manacle fuse together chilly atmosphere with power metal threads too, with numerous old 80s acts springing to mind as the guitars fizz nicely alongside the stabbing percussion. The leads are precise and edgy, and as the track culminates we get a thrashy edge too.

What Manacle bring to the table is an engrossing blend of the basics, but when all stirred together in a black, smoking cauldron we get a rich result. ‘Tears Of Wrath’ begins in sinister fashion; the tempo is upped this time around as the posse drive hard with flecks of speed and Gothic aplomb. Again there are hints here of numerous acts, like Queensrÿche, Helloween, Metal Church, Iron Maiden and Sanctuary – you know where I’m coming from.

However, the best track on the opus is the epic ‘Journey’s End’, which comes striding in confidently on guitarist Inti Paredes’ strong chords. A mature and gothic rumble of steady juggernaut rhythms perform a tidy barrier of steel, with the leads swirling and spiralling nicely, almost toying with Shawn Vincent’s trickling bass. The Iron Maiden comparisons emerge again, but there’s so much more to this dark abode.

‘Live Fast, Die Fast’ comes sizzling out of the blocks like some long-lost British metal gem of yore, while the equally anthemic and infectious ‘Witches Hallow’ begins with a tumble of drums before the approach of dark, fizzing melody. Finally, album closer ‘Stand Tall’ is a real pile driver of a track, combing blazing speed and dark, brooding lower tempos laced by those impressive vocal wails.

No Fear To Persevere… was mixed and mastered by Enforcer frontman Olof Wikstrand. So, if you like acts such as Enforcer who’ve taken the 80s ingredients to new levels, then why not step into that wonderfully amateurish yet beguiling album cover art and give Manacle a chance.

Neil Arnold

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