With Demon due to release a new studio album later this month and the fact that the London-based five-piece Praying Mantis released their twelfth studio album Defiance last month, it feels like 1981 all over again. Both bands released their debut albums in 1981 at the height of the NWOBHM movement and were seen as part of that scene - but, in truth, both were much more polished and melodic rock-inspired to ever feel like true examples of the NWOBHM. Praying Mantis, of course, did have a track on the legendary 1980 NWOBHM compilation Metal for Muthas - but I am not sure that either band has ever truly been 'metal'. Whatever they are, though, both bands are excellent. I will likely cover Demon's latest album in due course, but this piece focuses on Praying Mantis and Defiance - the band's fourth album with their current line-up, which is the longest-lasting in their entire history. Whilst 1981's Time Tells No Lies is often seen as a bit of a lost classic of the NWOBHM era, the truth is that it failed to make waves at the time - and the band broke up not long after its release. There are certainly plenty of strong songs on the album but I think the lack of a strong frontman held the band back. Had they had a proper singer the songs would have really soared and this is something which they have generally rectified since reforming in 1990 and again in 2008 - but, for me, their current frontman John Cuijpers is their best yet. This should take nothing away from the likes of Colin Peel, Gary Barden, or Tony O'Hora - but Cuijpers has really made Praying Mantis tick since he came on board in 2013. Another thing which I think held Praying Mantis back, especially during their second era from 1990 to 2003, was their inability to keep a stable line-up together. This is something which eludes many bands, but the constant chopping and changing of singers especially during that second run almost certainly had a big impact. It is telling, then, that since Cuijpers joined the band there has been stability - with drummer Hans in 't Zandt joining alongside him and the lack of any line-up changes since. The Dutch duo joined founding brothers guitarist Tino Troy and bassist Chris Troy and guitarist since 2008 Andy Burgess to create, in my opinion, the best Praying Mantis line-up to date - and this has generally been reflected in the music written by the current five-piece. The band have been pretty active in recent years, too, with Defiance being this line-up's fourth album - alongside the live release Keep It Alive! which dropped in 2019. Defiance is the band's first album since 2022's Katharsis (which I reviewed here), which I felt was a bit of a step down in quality compared to the two albums which preceded it. A handful of strange experiments did not work for me and overall the band's core melodic hard rock sound with a hint of a metallic crunch just did not seem as memorable as usual. It is certainly not bad, but compared to 2015's Legacy (which I reviewed here) and 2018's Gravity (which I also reviewed here) it fell somewhat flat. Thankfully, then, Defiance is a step back up again. I am not sure that it quite reaches the heights of this line-up's first two efforts - but it is better than Katharsis, with a strong melodic focus. It is very much Chris' album, too, as he wrote or co-wrote all but three of the album's songs - despite the other band members occasionally chipping in, too, and the presence of a long-overdue cover.
Despite the band's line-up not changing since 2013, this album does feature drummer Steve Price (Vambo) on three songs. He has sometimes played live with Praying Mantis when Zandt has been unavailable - and he plays on the opening number From the Start. The melodic focus of the album is pushed to the fore immediately, as From the Start opens with chiming synths - which soon morph into a driving piano hook augmented by crunchy guitar stabs. These keyboards continue even once the song gets a little heavier, setting the melodic tone, but much of the riffing is stripped back for the first verse - which essentially leaves Chris' bass and Price's drums to back Cuijpers. His theatrical and full-bodied vocal style is as good as ever, and he adds plenty of drama to the song - even during the verses which lack some of the punch of elsewhere. Production-wise, though, the song does really go for it. Lots of wordless vocal harmonies are added to the mix as the chorus is approached and the chorus itself is a big moment, with more of a weighty guitar presence and the piano hooks from earlier. Praying Mantis have often written huge choruses and this song is no different. Cuijpers gets the band's brand of metallic AOR perfectly and the chorus soars as a result - with smooth vocal hooks sitting nicely alongside the crunch of the guitars. A lengthy and melodic guitar solo later adds a lot to the song and the piece overall is a good example of the band's core sound. The album's title track follows and it is somewhat similar, albeit with a bit of a slower pace and some ballad-esque tendencies. There are plenty of keyboards utilised again here to bulk out the sound, but clean guitar melodies during the verses are a great look back to the 1980s. There is a mournful side to the song, too, with plenty of guitar leads throughout which add aching moments. Some of these are short and some are lengthy, but they all add to the overall vibe of the piece - whilst the backing vocal arrangements are much deeper, with the whole band adding harmonies and counter-melodies to Cuijpers' strident lead vocals. There are a few crunchier moments thrown in, with the guitars adding a bit of a chug to the chorus, but generally this is a big-sounding melodic rock piece which gets its weight from Zandt's driving drumming and Cuijpers' performance rather than any big riffing. Feelin' Lucky ups the tempo again and goes for more of an overt hard rocking sound. That being said, though, the rock here comes from more of a boogie-based approach - but this sound works much better than similar experiments on Katharsis did. Chris' bass playing here is a little on the funky side, whilst a dynamic and hooky opening guitar melody draws the listener in from the beginning - who are then retained by some driving piano chords. Given that the song was co-written by Burgess, it is not a surprise that it much more guitar-driven. The riffing and melodies here really make the song tick and there are some busy guitar lead sections which sit behind Cuijpers' vocals towards the end of the piece. Cuijpers sounds a bit tougher throughout the song, too, although his melodies are as strong as ever - with the up-tempo chorus standing out.
Those who know their Praying Mantis history will know that the band were supposed to record the Russ Ballard-penned I Surrender for Time Tells No Lies - but Rainbow beat them to it and turned the song into a hit. 43 years later we get a taste of what could have been, with a version of the track which is very close to Rainbow's famous rendition - albeit with a little more weight. Cuijpers is a 'heavier' singer than Joe Lynn Turner, so it is unsurprising that there is more bite here, but really the song is as expected. The guitar tones here are perhaps a little heavier than Ritchie Blackmore used in 1981, but there is still a big keyboard backing - even if the occasional Hammond organ swell adds a more earthy touch. In truth I am not sure that Praying Mantis' version in 1981 would have sounded like this, and it is probably for the best that Rainbow won that race, but given the current line-up's quality it seems fitting that Praying Mantis finally got their version of the song out of the door. Forever in My Heart follows, and the emotional ballad is the only song here co-written by Cuijpers. Following the rollocking rock of I Surrender, Forever in My Heart feels much more restrained - although it is pretty overblown and it is the sort of ballad which goes all out. Strident piano notes drive the song whilst the slow-burning groove of Zandt's drumming ensures that there is still plenty of punch. Cuijpers really pushes himself as is to be expected, but this is another song for the guitarists as there is little pulling back from Tino or Burgess. A little lead or emotional swell is never too far away, which nicely counter the vocals, whilst two lengthy and emotional solos are included, too. Praying Mantis have done this sort of song so well in recent years and it brings the best out of everyone here. Never Can Say Goodbye rocks harder and the riffier piece harks back to the sound of the band's debut album somewhat - albeit with a bigger keyboard presence and a huge vocal arrangement. There is a lot more crunch from the guitars here and the opening melodic guitar lead, which is reprised throughout, is a real earworm. The song is a really good example of the sort of sound the band have been focusing on of late. Everything included really pushes the hooks and there is little fat which could be trimmed. The songwriting is very focused and everything is based around a big chorus which Cuijpers nails as always. One Heart is, unsurprisingly, similar - but it feels a bit smoother overall, with more of a keyboard presence and a fluid and hypnotic bass-led intro. Even the band's heavier songs in recent years tend to be smooth - but some are smoother than others and this one feels particularly so. The use of shimmering keyboards throughout gives the song a consistent sound, but there are a few twists and turns such as the inclusion of the occasional classical guitar melody during the verses to act as a break between each line of vocals. Moments like this help the song to stand out, but in general it is just classic modern Praying Mantis. There are plenty of guitar leads here, which again soar in typical fashion, whilst another hooky chorus builds on this smoothness which a Dio-crossed-with-Foreigner feel. The classical guitar moments are later expanded on with a lengthy solo from such, which is different from the norm, but this experiment works well in my opinion.
Give It Up does feel a little heavier, but this is really only due to the approach taken by the guitarists. Overall, the song is as as smooth and melodic as ever, but there are some Thin Lizzy-esque guitar harmonies early on which resurface throughout - and the verses are much more guitar driven than they can often be. There is still plenty of keyboard-added depth, but the keyboards do not feel as key this time - with snaking guitar melodies and some crunchy chords generally forming the basis of the track. The punch leads to a bit more of a fast-paced chorus than is typical. The chorus is not as expansive as some here, but the snappy hooks are easy on the ear and rely more on anthemic and rhythmic tropes than usual. The song is a fun, punchy number on an album which is other generally pretty smooth and dense atmospherically - so it stands out as a bit of brevity. The instrumental Nightswim follows, which is a real guitar-focused piece put together by Tino and Burgess. I cannot recall the band doing an instrumental before, but Tino and Burgess' lyrical guitar styles mean that such a piece works nicely. The rhythm section lay down a slow groove, over which some simple keyboards add texture, but this is a piece all about the guitars - with a number of slow-burning harmony sections bookending emotional solos. It never explodes into a shred-fest, either, and the tone and pace throughout is very controlled - which allows for some memorable guitar moments and ensures that it retains the album's overall feel. Standing Tall follows, and the more up-tempo piece feels a bit different from the rest of the album with its disco-esque groove and warm, prominent synth melodies. The difference is not night and day, but the band has trodden a slightly different path this time - and it reminds me a little of the sound of bands like Beast in Black, but in a hard rock context. There are certainly some danceable grooves here, but the melodies sound very typical of Praying Mantis' usual approach. Cuijpers' chorus delivery ensures such and there are plenty of the band's typical big guitar melodies throughout - even if they are somewhat groovier than usual as they fit in alongside the funkier beats and synth melodies. There is a great, lengthy guitar solo, too, and the piece is a lot of fun thanks to its up-tempo vibe and plentiful melodies. The album then comes to a close with Let's See, which is much more typical of the band's core sound - albeit with the up-tempo vibe of the previous song retained. The grooves are much more in-keeping, though, with a more straight ahead drum pattern and some excellent harmony guitar leads opening things up. Despite there still being plenty of hooks throughout, the track feels heavier than much of the rest of the album. The keyboards are less prominent this time and the guitars feel pretty weighty throughout - with a few bigger riffs and a plentiful approach to melodic leads setting such a tone. Due to the keyboards feeling less prominent, too, the song has a bit more of a darkness to it - and the chorus sounds epic thanks to this vibe and another strong backing vocal arrangement. This reminds me quite a bit of Legacy and the sound which permeated that album - which overall felt a little heavier than some of the band's work despite it still being heavily AOR-influenced. This is likely why Legacy remains my favourite album from the band - and Let's See is a great reminder of that sound on what is otherwise a much smoother album. Overall, though, I really like Defiance. It feels like step up from Katharsis and sees the band returning to doing what they do best. Every song here has something to like about it and the focus on melodies throughout gives the album a consistent tone. The experiments this time generally paid off, too, and the album is a powerful reminder of why Praying Mantis should be more well known.
The album was released on 19th April 2024 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Defiance.
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