MANILLA ROAD

If you're looking for the more complexly arranged, epic side of MANILLA ROAD, then move right on past "Playground of the Damned". However (and that's a big "however"),a comparatively streamlined approach to a MANILLA ROAD album might still be considered challenging to your average traditional heavy metal band. The short of it is that "Playground of the Damned" is a damn fine effort and easily worth any fans' time and money, even if it is not among the Wichita act's best.

Here's the deal; don't make a final assessment of "Playground of the Damned" until you've gone through the album several times. First spins leave one with a marginally underwhelmed feeling, mainly because of tempo uniformity and an approach that "seems" laid back. What you'll miss by not spending quality time with this one are all the subtleties that aren't fully revealed until later on, as well as material that keeps growing on you until you're good and hooked. A main melody on "Grindhouse" that sneaks right up on the listener is perhaps the best example, the song also demonstrative of arrangements that come with slight chills, minor accents, and elements that aren't fully appreciated without time invested.

More to the point, "Playground of the Damned" is undeniably a MANILLA ROAD album as defined by its leader's easily identified compositional stamp, that being guitarist/vocalist and ubiquitous presence Mark Shelton. The beauty of this one is found most prominently in the many sections of soaring guitar leads over rhythms that seem to float or flow, frequently resulting in a near-hypnotic effect. Even the lack of beef in the drum sound is more than made up in the excellent performance of Cory Christner whose percussive playing, overall touch, and impeccable sense of accent are integral components of virtually every song on the album.

That is not to say that "Playground of the Damned" lacks notable riffs and metallic power, only that the defining quality of the album is often as much about addicting atmosphere and majestic feel as metallic punch. There is no question that tracks like "Brethren of the Hammer" or "Into the Maelstrom" are as much about riff-based, trad-metal might as anything else. Yet in the way of contrast, "Art of War" has an air of elegance to go with some deep, thought-provoking lyrics, such as this unforgettable line: "Technology has made it easier to sacrifice our brothers of the earth". And yet the song still climbs to a more metallic plateau.

Any thoughts about "Playground of the Damned" not quite measuring up to some of the group's best work will be joined by the realization that it's a great album by any other standard, which speaks volumes about MANILLA ROAD's superb body of work.. Any concerns about a lessening of bombast will be overshadowed by the album's growing quality, one that ultimately makes the listener want to return to it time and time again. That's the key attribute. Once you're hooked, there is no turning back. The album will continue sucking you back in for more, no matter what your priority may be at the moment. Try banishing from your brain the chorus of the title track; it'll creep back when you least expect it. "Playground of the Damned" is yet another representation of MANILLA ROAD's status as a veteran band of class and depth that offers the world heavy metal songs with an appeal far outlasting those of many of its contemporaries' material. As far as being a band that isn't for everyone, "Playground of the Damned" won't change any minds either.