Manilla Road are one of those semi-forgotten gems who show up every once in a while in your playlist and make you realize that there is a lot more to the old guard of heavy metal than we normally think of. Now they are starting to get some of the recognition they deserve with a series of cool reissues from Shadow Kingdom Records. Their latest, 1988's Out of The Abyss is another Manilla Road classic that proves the band was well ahead of their time.
The record starts out with the tasty and vicious Whitechapel which immediately sets the mood for things to come. This album has some of the heaviest stuff you'll ever hear Manilla Road do, and they do it well. Some of the tracks are borderline thrashy and dareisay that here and there we get some quasi-death growls? Out of the Abyss is simply proof of how eclectic and unique this band could be. They had all sorts of fresh ideas, even years into their career. These songs show a band who were still creative and exciting, capable of putting out some true epics that get into your head and solidify the bands place as metal legends.
Delving into this album has been a real treat because it tends to be overlooked by fans, myself included. Now that I've been able to give it a few more spins I'm realizing that these guys had all sorts of nifty ideas and songs coming out, years after most wrote them off. It makes you wonder what could have been. As you sink into the blazing fast grooves and vicious drums that characterize this album it's hard to believe that these guys got their start in the 70s. Forward thinking and dynamic, Shadow Kingdom Records have done good in re-releasing a lost classic!
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