With 8 Deadly Sins being Manticora’s fourth full length, expectations are rather high on this end. Their brand of highly aggressive Power Metal has struck a chord with me, all of their previous albums are some of the most intense and powerful metal I have heard. Similar to Blind Guardian (Battalions of Fear and Tales From the Twilight World era) in the sense that so much musically is going on all at once, but up the heaviness about ten notches and that is Manticora in a nutshell. I personally feel that these guys are the underdogs of metal, with no weak releases under their belts they should be much bigger than they are, yet catching that almighty cog that brings one up to stardom (at least in our metal world) is still elusive.

The first musical nuance that I took notice of when I popped this into my stereo is that 8 Deadly Sins is a bit more (not laid back, that is a dreadfully incorrect way to describe this album) subdued for lack of a better term, than their other albums. This time around instead of a storm of drums, guitars, and vocals, the band opts for a leaner more streamlined approach yet still retaining their heaviness. King of the Absurd for example is a great mid tempo opener that has a pulse raising intro before breaking into a riff that is perfect to headbang too. The same pattern is noticeable in the next track, Playing God, more melodic and more emotional soloing than we have heard previously, the difference between the Manticora that wrote When Forever Ends and the current incarnation is most obvious but certainly not a detriment.

I have heard more than once from fellow metalheads this statement: “Manticora is a band who I love musically, but I can’t get into the vocals.” I can see how this might be relevant, Lars’ vocals are definitely an acquired taste, but I also can’t see anyone else even trying to fill his shoes, it wouldn’t work. I personally think that he is unique and stands superior amongst the sea of Kiske wannabes that Limb Music seems to have a never ending supply of. On It Feels Like the End, Lars’ voice is drenched with emotive power, when the chorus rolls around you just want to hoist your pint of ale in the air and shout along with him. Coupled with the soaring melody lines and gripping riffs, this makes It Feels Like the End the strongest cut on the entire album.

8 Deadly Sins is one fine Power Metal record. Equal parts heavy, melodic, and intelligent, Manticora is a band that has yet to let me down. With each subsequent release growth and improvement is always evident, whether it is Lars’ delivery (to miss the difference between his performance on Roots of Eternity and this album is almost admitting mild retardation) the structure of the songs themselves, to Kristian’s ability as a guitar player and 8 Deadly Sins is no different. If there were more bands in Power Metal as talented as Manticora, then I might not be so jaded and cynical to the scene anymore.