From the UK a progressive rock/metal band reaches our office, and it’s called Manatees. The package of the album looks really cool, kind of like the Mit Gas album by Tomahawk, yet slightly different. Enough jabbering, let's see what they’re about!

Manatees sound like a postcore band to me, but a versatile one I might add. Although the album immediately slaps you in the face heavily with the fifteen minute track ‘i’ the track also shows some gentile passages and interesting soundscapes. Also they don’t sound like the next Neurosis or Isis copy, which is something that gets hard to avoid when doing this style of music.

 

Vocally there is varied between screams and a sort of talking singing, nothing really impressing on this front. Personally I’m a big fan of the sound of the bass guitar, because it’s mixed in really heavy, like it should. The rhythm section offers some interesting beats in these (in general) quite slow tempos, while the guitar goes from heavy rock riffs to long-stretched space parts. My guess is that there are also electronics in use for this as well.

 

It is obvious that this is music for people into heavy yet relaxing music. Overwhelming music might be the right word to use. But I am curious if Manatees will succeed in reaching a bigger audience any time soon, because the postcore scene seems to be filling up more rapidly every year. Let’s hope there’s a spot for them in there too.