Maniak
"Speed Metal Terrorist"
Dawnbreed Rec/ / De Nihil Rec. 2023
Well, what an
obvious release this is. Even before I turned the music on I knew exactly what
I would find on this release. The band's name, the cover artwork and, most
importantly, the title make it clear that no one will reach for this EP by
chance, as the material is aimed at a specifically defined target. Here are
four teenagers from Sweden, probably having found some dusty vinyl at their
grandfather's attic, who were so fired up with this old-school music that they
decided to follow in the footsteps of the forerunners of speed / thrash metal,
disregarding the fact that these are probably not the times. Now no one listens
to such music anymore. Now it has to be intelligent, preferably with some deep
philosophical thought, a marriage with seventies rock, elaborate compositions,
at times for the more sensitive ear, so as not to alienate the potential
listener too much at the beginning. Well, in general, it's supposed to be metal
dressed up in human clothes. The guys from Maniak apparently don't give a fuck
about that. Neither do I. "Speed Metal Terrorist" is total
out-of-time, anti-trend and anti-poser music. Above all, there is not an ounce
of originality in it. It can be said that these four tracks (plus the intro)
are a conglomeration of classic patents from the 1980s, carefully shuffled and
laid out in front of the listener in the form of a yellowed, heavily tattered
set. The Swedes keep a jaunty pace most of the time, whipping around with
uncomplicated chords, spitting in the faces of christians and trampling their
reviled faces with a heavy boot. Sometimes they throw in a short solo, at
another point they slow down for a second to change a riff... What I feel is
the greatest asset of these recordings, however, is their undeniable sincerity
and the rebellion that strikes from it. The young musicians of Maniak may not
yet have much experience, they may not yet always be able to resist drawing
verbatim quotes from the past, but that's the charm. Of course, these
recordings sound basementy and obtuse, exactly as they should sound. These less
than twenty minutes of music are a "reminiscence spell" for any old
fart who grew up on such music, or a history lesson for younger students of
metallurgy by their peers. As I mentioned in the beginning, poor chances that
"Speed Metal Terrorist" will end up in the wrong hands. Equally poor
that those who reach for this material won’t like it. I'm writing down the name
of Maniac in a notebook, waiting and watching further development.
-
jesusatan
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