CD review MANIMAL "Trapped in the Shadows"

(7/10) Gothenburg's Manimal has with "Trapped in the Shadows" a new longplayer added to their discography. Actually it is the second album that follows the debut from 2009

A few days ago the four guys have played at the Heavy Metal Maniacs festival in Amstelveen, Netherlands. The setlist at that time was already filled with quite some new songs and I can tell you that the band succeeded with their performance. The crowd liked what they heard and Manimal played a pretty good show. The new stuff fit perfect together with the older tunes - a thing that shows that the band didn't change a lot in their sound. It's rather a development than a change.

Manimal is still playing power metal that has, due to the high pitch of Samuel Nyman, also a certain Judas Priest touch. The opener "Irresistable" is such a song that is fast and reminds partly to Halford & Co.

"March of Madness" is next. It's a number that comes with a sharp riff and a quite melodic chorus. "The Dark" lifes up to its name since it is a gloomy track that is followed by the title track; a song that is pure power.

In general I must say that the first half of the album is better than second one. Towards the end a few weaker songs found a way on the tracklist. Not that they are bad ones; the just can't life up to the excellent beginning.

An expemption is "The Journey" with some guest vocals of Udo Dirkschneider. Already the fact that this iconic singer joins for a song shows that Manimal has a great musical base to build on.

"Trapped in the Shadows" is a good power metal album that includes some real highlights. Sometimes the high vocals become a bit annoying, but if Nyman varies more, like in some tracks, Manimal can have a glorious future. This time it is well meant seven points.

(7/10)

Tracklist:

1. Irresistable
2. March of Madness
3. The Dark
4. Trapped in the Shadows
5. Invincible
6. Man-Made Devil
7. Silent Messiah
8. The Journey (feat. Udo Dirkschneider)
9. Screaming Out
10. Psychopomp

Label: AFM Records

Genre: Heavy Metal

Release Date EU: November 29st, 2015