Album of the year so far!
MetalMarc | Grand Rapids, MI USA | 04/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album and band are so little known that I am surprised I even stumbled on to it. I am very glad I did because this is my album of the year so far 2005! Even better than Kamelot's new masterpiece 'The Black Halo'. Which of course has gotton tons of publicity and promotion. 'Mad Moon Rising' deserves the same recognition and more.
To start Manitou play traditional metal with a dash of prog. They remind me most of the band Evergrey, the way their music grabs you on an emotional level. They write great songs that have a lot of depth and take you away to another place. Fairly easy to get into right away, yet enough to uncover after repeated listens.
These guys have idea's! The guitars riffs and leads are creative and original. The rythym section is tight and provides a hefty bottom end. The singer is also great and his warm voice takes you through the journey and many textures of their music. Manitou has there own sound and it's clear they are not trying to copy anyone else.
Amazingly every song on this album is equally at the same high level. All 9 songs are nothing short of great and there are even 3 bonus songs to round it out. Another amazing fact is the flawless production of this album! You would thing a relatively obscure act like Manitou would not have the resources to get a big time production, but that is exactly what they have. The production is heavy, clear, and very well balanced.
This folks is a landmark album! I can safely say one of the best albums I have ever heard! Hopefully the rest of the metal world finds this 'diamond in the rough' too and gets the word out. But my words can't depict the music as well as your ears can so just get it...........
A TRUE MUST HAVE!!!"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1