Mannhai - "Evil Under The Sun" (Ranch 01)
Mannhai - "Evil Under The Sun" (Ranch 01)
Uploaded to Aural Innovations: September 2003
Mannhai are a Finnish hard rock-metal-stoner band. The band released this CD in March 2003. It is the bands fourth release (two 3-song EPs and another full length CD). I caught the band live back in April in Helsinki but this was my first exposure to the bands studio material. In the live setting the band came across with a more heavy metal sound and screaming Halford like vocals. This CD was recorded in Göteborg, Sweden and produced by Christian Silver (Soundtrack of our Lives). The band opens the CD with a very groovy stoner number, "Laugh Like Insane". In many ways the band remind me of Spiritual Beggars, but Joanitor has a totally different singing voice and rather than the clean metal sound like Spritual Beggars have, these guys go for a very raw sound. I really like the no-forced vocals of Joanitor on "Sweat Of Love" and the band get a little spaced out as well. A very cool song. "Between" is very Beggars like but "Standing On This Cliff" has a very cool riff. The bands video and single from the record is the 2 minute "Spiritraiser!" This song is a very fast hard driving song. The title track of the CD follows and has a slow mean riff. "Colourful Dusk", places the vocals far in the background and lets the guitar pummel you into submission. Heavy stuff. "Under Your Thumb" closes the CD and is a slow heavy song.. Mannhai have produced a strong record that could appeal to people across different genres of heavy rock music. I was a little disappointed there are so few guitar solos but some people only need the riffs to rock your world.
For more information you can visit the Mannhai web site at: http://www.mannhai.com.
Reviewed by Scott Heller