Manimal, originating from Sweden, belong to the Power Metal scene, we wouldn’t say into the core like Helloween in the mid-80s, but maybe with elements from the second wave. To define the type of their musical orientation, let’s use the term Power Metal.
Unknown to the majority of the Greek audience, the fans of Judas Priest, Queensryche, Primal Fear, Brainstorm, Bloodbound, Firewind and several others, I am convinced that they will enjoy listening to them and probably put them in their collection.
Manimal consists of the band’s soul, guitarist and composer Henrick Stenroos, on bass the talented Kenny Boufadene, on drums the also talented André Holmqvist and on vocals the incredible Sam Nyman.
Manimal since their beginning in 2001 had three personal Demo releases, in 2002, 05′ and 06′ but the debut album “Darkest Room” arrived three years later, as well as the collaboration with AFM records, which proved to be a strong card for their later course. The album “Darkest Room” with 9 tracks, lasting about 39 minutes in total, has elements of heavy metal with heavy riffs and some progressive, with vocals a little bit stuttered but harsh with doses of high-pitched outbursts. The only track that is characterized for speed is “Dreamers and fools” which reclaims Sam Nyman’s vocal qualities in the high ranges. On this particular album are former members Mentzer brothers on bass and drums who left a short time later and long before the release of the next album in 2015.
There somewhere at the end of 2015, the second full length album “Trapped in Shadows” came out with the two new members of the band on Drums and Bass. The album consists of 10 tracks with a total duration of about 50 minutes, here the album refers to “painkiller” beats, while the participation of Udo Dirkschneider (Accept) in the track “The Journey” makes a special impression, as it’s a low rhythmic ballad track and the contrast of the vocals between Udo and Sam makes it stand out.
In 2018 three years after the release of the second album and after the release of three singles like Black Plague, Manimalized and Purgatorio comes the complete …..Purgatory, yes, yes you read it right the album “Purgatorio”. An album of 9 tracks and about 42 minutes of duration. Here the miraculous Stenroos blessed and always focused,unfolds his songwriting talent offering us generous, amazing riffs and solos while the album compositionally and vocally leans towards Primal Fear and maybe with a little Harlford on top. I personally singled out 4 tracks “Black Plague”, “Denial”, “Edge of Darkness” and “Spreading the Dread”.
We arrive in 2021 and in early December the album “Armagedon” drops like an Armageddon.After three singles and one EP the new album arrived to captivate us. The album contains 10 tracks with a total duration of about 43 minutes. An album with intense energy and wild power metal, quite speedy, that captivates you from the first track , here also Judas Priest sound references are not missing. Tracks like “Burn in Hell”, “Forge in Metal”, Chains of Fury and Armagedon are hard to pass by.
No matter how many references are made to the similarities with other bands such as Primal Fear, Judas Priest and other bands of the genre, Manimal manage to keep an authenticity without copying and respecting their influences and consequently themselves. Each track on the albums individual keeping within the limits the term power and with other genres inside of course. The contact and the way they pass their music to the listener is unprecedented, there is no way you can listen to them and not want more, it’s hard to pass it by, if you are or not a fan of the genre.
We hope for a first live performance here in Greece.
Band Website – MANIMAL offical website
