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PRAYING MANTIS
Defiance

Frontiers (2024)
Rating: 8/10

It probably sounds a bit weird to call the 13th full-length studio album from these legendary New Wave Of British Heavy Metal rockers “lovely”, but that’s exactly how I felt when this record unravelled like a rich tapestry of metal melody. Okay, so the cover art is a bit grey and soulless, but contained within are a batch of hard rock tunes that just enrich the soul.

The mix of hard rock numbers and ballads provides the perfect balance as Praying Mantis members John Cuijpers (vocals), Tino Troy (guitar and keyboards), Andy Burgess (guitar), Chris Troy (bass) and Hans in’t Zandt (drums) craft a rich outing. Metallic edges encase threads of AOR alongside a lacing of melancholy, particularly with the title track whereby the band marry hope and despair within the rubble of a dying world via a fog of sullen chords. The pallid, almost ashen feeling remains throughout this album even as the balladesque moments come to fruition and so the fusion of warmth yet grey gloss is of great interest.

NWOBHM legends Praying Mantis may be, having formed in the 70s, but with Defiance it’s a case of a straight up polished and contemporary vibe, particularly with the arena rock soar of ‘Forever In My Heart’ and the deliciously melodic ‘Standing Tall’. I guess the only time the band seems to drift towards the halcyon days are with closer ‘Let’s See’ which boasts a metallic edge, as does a cover rendition of the Russ Ballard penned track ‘I Surrender’. Either way, Cuijpers leads the band like no frontman previously, driving Praying Mantis into their 50th year as a band.

The lush keyboards and busy axework keep the album vibrant, even through the pale mists as the AOR-drenched ‘One Heart’ throbs with a spine of high bass. Flecks of Uriah Heep mingle at times with Rainbow, while instrumental ‘Nightswim’ has a Joe Satriani edge. So, there is plenty of variety here although most of the punch on the album is provided by the drums.

It’s hard to believe that it’s over 40 years since the UK bands superb Time Tells No Lies (1981) debut opus, but it is great to see the veterans still ploughing on and providing quality music for the fans. Melody over metal is the key here; Praying Mantis defiant until the end.

Neil Arnold

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