| Katharsis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg.webp) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 28, 2022 | |||
| Studio | Battery Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Heavy Metal, Hard Rock | |||
| Length | 53:03 | |||
| Label | Frontiers Records | |||
| Producer | Andy Burgess, Tino Troy | |||
| Praying Mantis studio album chronology | ||||
| ||||
Katharsis is the eleventh album by English heavy metal band Praying Mantis, released in 2022. A music video was produced for the album's opener, "Cry For The Nations" as well as "Closer To Heaven."
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metal1.info | 7/10[1] |
| Rock Hard | 7.0/10[2] |
| Metal.de | 5/10[3] |
| Blabbermouth | 6/10[4] |
Reception has been "generally positive" after its release. Rock Hard gave it a solid rating, labeling it as "nicely arranged, 'fluffy' hard rock." Positively, a review from Metal1 stated in their review that while it might not be the strongest album in their career, "Katharsis is definitely a well-made, multi-layered and, above all, extremely high-quality rock record of the British style." A more critical review from Metal.de stated how Praying Mantis delivers solid melodic AOR, and that the troupe knows how to make stadium rock and avoid breakaways. However, they added that the record doesn't contain any big hits and has no real long-term standing effect. "People who tend towards Hard Rock or NWoBHM shouldn't be happy with this disc. Fans of melodic stadium rock should try the work, but don't expect any major highlights." Blabbermouth spoke well of the album, and showed appreciation towards tracks such as "Cry For The Nations," "Sacrifice," "Wheels In Motion," and "Don't Call Us Now" which they stated as "an infectious pop-rock shuffle, with the album's strongest chorus and faint echoes of rock opera and Jethro Tull." Moreover, they criticized songs like "Ain't No Rock 'N' Roll In Heaven" and "Long Time Coming" for being straightforward and prosaic in that they pale in comparison with the album's deeper cuts. Concluding with that, at its best, "Katharsis tells of a veteran band with plenty of gas in the tank and a strong grip on their highly distinctive identity."
Tracklist
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cry For The Nations" | 4:55 |
| 2. | "Closer To Heaven" | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Ain’t No Rock’N’Roll In Heaven" | 2:46 |
| 4. | "Non Omnis Moriar" | 4:16 |
| 5. | "Long Time Coming" | 4:16 |
| 6. | "Sacrifice" | 5:11 |
| 7. | "Wheels In Motion" | 5:31 |
| 8. | "Masquerade" | 4:28 |
| 9. | "Find Our Way Back Home" | 5:03 |
| 10. | "Don't Call Us Now" | 5:53 |
| 11. | "The Devil Never Changes" | 6:32 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Find Our Way Back Home" (Acoustic Version) | 5:06 |
Personnel
- Band
- John Cuijpers - vocals
- Andy Burgess – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
- Tino "Daddy Long Legs" Troy – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
- Chris "The Dak" Troy – bass, backing vocals, keyboards
- Hans In't Zandt – drums, backing vocals, percussion
- Miscellaneous staff
- Rainer Kalwitz – artwork
- Steve Mann – mastering
- Andy Burgess – producer, arrangements
- Tino Troy – producer, arrangements
Charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[5] | 61 |
References
- ↑ Thomas Meyns (February 6, 2022). "Praying Mantis - Katharsis". Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ↑ Thomas Kupfer (January 28, 2022). "PRAYING MANTIS Katharsis". Rock Hard. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ↑ Jurgen Fenske (February 6, 2022). "Praying Mantis - Katharsis". Metal.de. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ↑ Dom Lawson. "Praying Mantis - Katharsis". Blabbermouth. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Praying Mantis – Katharsis". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
External sites
- Official music videos