Manilla Road
Atlantis Rising

Always synonymous with epic and underground metal, the American Manilla Road couldn't overlook Atlantis in their career. And so, after the importance the lost city had on the album "The Deluge" (the title track was an example), the Kansas trio decided to dedicate a true concept album to the endless saga of what is defined as "the submerged city." A work born 11 years after the last, the excellent "Into the Courts of Chaos." Eleven years in which the band faced record label issues followed by the departures of two historical members: Scott Parks and Randy Foxe (bass and drums), replaced by Mark Anderson and Scott Peters. Moreover, due to early signs of vocal issues, the leader and singer Mark Shelton decided to use a "support singer," in this case, Bryan Patrick.

Welcomed by critics as a real bolt from the blue, Atlantis Rising, released in 2001, is not what was hailed as "one of the band's best albums." Right from the first notes of "Megalodon", a more powerful, even rougher sound than past works emerges. This is primarily due to a recording that is subpar, to say the least. The opener is an epic, aggressive song, in full epic style, but the guitar, which often overshadows the voice, does not contribute to making everything more homogeneous. "Lemuria", on the other hand, unlike the first song, is a connection to the past: slow and evocative in recreating scenarios and places forgotten by man. It is undeniable, however, that Atlantis rising is an album where Manilla's sound undergoes significant heaviness, directly reflected in the title track, another sonic blow of absolute power. It is equally undeniable that the best episodes remain those anchored to the old style: like "Lemuria", "Sea Witch" also carries a charge of pathos that the other tracks do not have.

"Resurrection" and "Decimation" continue on the path of aggressiveness, navigating between the singer's raspy voice and a guitar generating riffs sharp as glass. "March of the Gods" exalts with rhythm and epic power, just like "Siege of Atland", another demonstration of Shelton's ability to revive legends and traditions of the past in music. The same Shelton, being the band's leader, is also the one who has suffered the most from a drop in inspiration, although an album like this sweeps away any present-day heavy metal band.

Atlantis Rising is a work that stands in the Manilla discography. It is the forerunner of their "new career," the more "thrasher" and less epic one. Those 11 years of hiatus have contributed to the loss of the trio's musical verve, which has also been significantly crippled by the continuous lineup changes. However, the band from Wichita is aware that in singing stories of this genre in heavy metal, they still excel.

1. "Megalodon" (8:20)
2. "Lemuria" (2:51)
3. "Atlantis Rising" (7:01)
4. "Sea Witch" (4:29)
5. "Resurrection" (6:37)
6. "Decimation" (6:36)
7. "Flight Of The Ravens" (2:11)
8. "March Of The Gods" (5:08)
9. "Siege Of Atland" (4:53)
10. "War Of The Gods" (8:49)