MANUFACTURER’S PRIDE - Sound Of God’s Absence

Manufacturer’s Pride - Sound Of God’s Absence

12 songs
47:25 minutes
***** ****
Firebox

Bandpage

With a band name fit for a prolo punk or hardcore band, Manufacturer’s Pride from Finland choose a totally different approach. Their debut Sound of God’s Absence sports a dark atmosphere which suits their label Firebox Records. In accordance with the music, the six musicians are clad in stylish black suits with white ties. Anything but proletarianism!

The packaging is already very decent, and the content doesn’t disappoint either. Combing a wide array of styles, they even rely at times on thrash and death metal influences, although mostly they keep it a little tamer, with an emphasis on symphonic, dramatic and melancholic parts. The vocals are varied, switching between dark and cleaner male vocals. Nothing new here, but it’s well done all the same. The songs have reasonable lengths, allowing Manufacturer’s Pride to get quickly to the point. Highlight is still the eight minute long closer Departure, loaded with drama and sending shivers down your spine. With no weak tracks to be spotted, Sound Of God’s Absence is a successful debut full of energy and breaks. Stillborn Messiah has the vocalist from Swallow The Sun guesting.

I come rarely across albums that make so much fun already during the first run. Fans of Opeth and Anathema will have a hard time finding an excuse to get around this CD which has every change to become the metal newcomer of the year.

The CD comes with a bonus DVD, whose main part is a 45 minute long live concert where Manufacturer’s Pride prove that they are as able on stage as they are in the studio. The sound is optimal (apart from one short spot), but the image quality can’t quite keep up. Considering that this is a low budget production, the result is more than satisfying. Only their rather rigid stage presence needs to be worked on. Furthermore there are two well done video clips (Dahlia, Bleed Out The Sun) and a Making Of documentary of the former.

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