Album Review: Idle Hands / Mana

Idle Hands: Mana (Review)

Released 10th May 2019 (Eisenwald Tonschmiede)

Prior to a recent episode of the That's Not Metal podcast, Idle Hands was a name I was unfamiliar with. However, when Beez and co described their sound (and quite accurately, I might add) as eighties goth rock meets traditional heavy metal, I knew I had to check out their debut album, Mana, pronto. And boy am I glad I did because it hasn't left my stereo since!

From the get-go, it's clear that Gabriel Franco's unique vocal style forms the hallmark of this record. On the opening track, Nightfall, Gabriel enunciates every word with utmost conviction whilst maintaining a hypnotic rhythm to his delivery. The product of this is a hugely commanding presence that demands the listener's attention, whether they like it or not! As the album progresses, slower tracks such as the despondent Don't Waste Your Time provide breathing space for Gabriel to exhibit the spectacular versatility of his voice; a clear culmination of various influences across punk, goth, and new wave. The penultimate track, A Single Solemn Rose, is where this diverse concoction of influences really shines through, resulting in an insanely catchy chorus, delivered with an infectious flamboyancy. In stark contrast to this, there are moments where Gabriel's voice borders on depressive black metal territory. The explosive Double Negative provides a prime example of this wherein Gabriel shrieks suicidal lyrics with ravenous anguish. Mix all of this together, garnish it with some gothic howls and frequent grunts, and you've got yourself a truly distinctive and engaging vocal performance. Not to mention a great drinking game!

Musically, Mana straddles the juxtaposing line between romantic goth rock and muscular heavy metal perfectly. Give Me To The Night kicks off with a high octane, metallic riff before drummer Colin Vranizan propels everything forwards with a pummelling double bass rhythm and Nicko McBrain inspired ride cymbal accents. Layered on top of this are frantic, scything guitars that inject another shot of adrenaline into the track, whilst the ever-present rumbling bass line holds everything together. Cosmic Overdrive provides another example of the goth metal hybrid done right, and conjures up images of cruising through space on some kind of futuristic Harley Davidson whilst sporting a leather jacket and shades in true Andrew Eldritch style (at least in my mind anyway!) Lead guitarist Sebastian Silva plays a crucial role in invoking such ethereal atmospheres throughout this album. His melody on the poignant Jackie compliments the chorus beautifully and he delivers a charismatic solo which builds to a stunning crescendo towards the end of the song. Sebastian's talents are also highlighted on Dragon, Why Do You Cry? which features a rousing countdown from Gabriel before exploding, quite literally, into a euphoric solo which steals the limelight. This stuff was written with the end goal of playing to stadium-sized crowds in mind, and it sure as hell shows!

Andrew Eldritch: As goth as it gets!

On that note, Mana personifies the wild ambitions of aspiring stadium rock bands everywhere. Yet despite Idle Hands being a relatively new and lesser-known band, it excels in capturing this essence whilst simultaneously offering something very anomalous. This combination of sonic individuality, massive hooks, and commercial song structures makes Mana an instant classic which flaunts infinite replay potential. And with a concise running time of forty minutes, there's never any risk of it overstaying its welcome. I have no doubt, given the right amount of time and exposure, that Idle Hands will go on to do very big things on the back of this record. Watch this space!

Rating: 5/5

"Can we cut the back and forth, it doesn't matter anymore, a gift for what it's worth, alone, a single solemn rose"