M.A.N - Peacenemy 2008

Tracks
1. Peacenemy
2. Worn Wings
3. Blood Vanish
4. My Own Sickness
5. Outnumbered
6. Body Sewer
7. Harness the Mind
8. Eyes Bled, tears Shed
9. Hacker Saoiens
10. 44 Teeth
11. Dead Universe
12. Peacenemy epilogue

Band:
Tony Jelencovich (V)
Rob Letztens (B)
Robguz (G)
Engberg (D)

Discography:
Obey, Consume, Reject (07)

Info
Svein Jensen (Prod, Rec & Mix)

Guests
Burton C. Bell (V on 4)

Links:
manmusic.net
myspace
tiefdruck

That was one small step for a man…
The d.u.d.e is related to when vocalist Tony JJ said ”I want mor groove, less robot and no concrete!”. That’s why he put the knife in Transport League and created M.A.N that, with this second album, really makes Tony feel satisfied with the result of his groove hunt. Because groove it have. ’Peacenemy’ sound like Korn in the most groovy of times, like Mudvayne on heroin or as Tony himself describes it – a bad ass roller compactor.

This new piece of modern American metal, that had it’s popularity peak 3-4 years ago, is real funk o metal that allows the base to play as high as anything and smacks those thick strings thorough behind the more or less likeable song from Tony. Best is when Tony put in some holds in his growling and lets his scared voice speak plainly too. The songs Blood Vanish, Body Sewer and Eyes Bleed, Tears Shed ends up as my favorites, mainly because they have that flow that comes from mixing the right amount of melody into the groove.

The tempo is good, but sometimes that flow is haltered when they go a little too far with their ”hammering on the base”. The sound effects and samples added into the end result inside, between, in front of and after the songs could have been a great move, but that had required them to know when enough is enough. The Neil Armstrong quote as he landed on the moon feels perfect, if you ask me, but the telephone sampling and much other stuff they could have spared us listeners from. But I guess, in a way they are motivated as they adds to the freakiness of the album and I guess you can enjoy this album from that side to as long as you don’t mind Tony screaming and shouting throughout the album.

Overall it stays as an album of quality. We are spared from the real low-marks, but the album has some songs of less interest still. All though, the album holds an even strong quality with more peaks than dips and never really bad.

As Slipknot and M.A.N release new albums in this genre this year, perhaps there is still hope for it to keep on living. M.A.N definitely belongs to the bands you need to check out if you like the modern American metal genre, at least as they keep on making albums like this. It’s really good, but perhaps no giant leap for mankind.

HHHHHHH

Written on 09-26-2008