Manes has always been a fairly ‘out-there’ band, not content with sticking to the same old tried-and-tested format that a lot of other artists do, and it makes for a refreshing listen as a result. However their latest album, Be All End All doesn’t quite reach the heights that this band is capable of.
As a whole, it just feels rather disjointed, like the tracks don’t fit together properly, and there’s nothing about them that really grabs your interest. It doesn’t quite flow from one song to the next and makes for quite a difficult listen as a result.
However, the blend of different styles does work well, as it keeps you on your toes and proves that Manes are confident enough with their song writing to utilise as many different ideas and approaches into their music, and whilst sometimes it doesn’t quite work on this particular album, it’s an admirable quality to have, and one that should be commended.
There are some good points, such as the emotive vocal line in Name The Serpent and the eerie tones in Broken Fire, but as a whole this just doesn’t feel like Manes’ best work.
4/10
You can read our interview with Manes from earlier in the year here.
