Mantra 2 Werewolves of London Review

Mantra 2 Werewolves of London

Ok, first of all this is an excellent album! I love all of it. And so will you.
I have to admit that I am not overly familiar with the previous album, but have heard a couple of tracks and I wasn't THAT keen, though I have always been hoping that Mantra 2 would do a gig someday so that I could go see them live! Anyway, that doesn't matter because this album is bloody great!

Now, I don't want to make too much of the fact that 2 ex Ants and the Wolfmen feature as guests on the album. In my opinion to do that would be to overlook the songs. It's true yes that Matt (Singer) is a HUGE Adam and the Ants fan, and for a lot of Ants fans the fact that this has Terry Lee Miall on cd for the first time since 1981 and also features Marco Pirroni (Currently a Wolfman) will be a huge selling point. But I think to think of the album JUST for that would be to do Mantra 2and Matt an injustice.

The songs then. The cd starts with Werewolves of London, an excellent cover of the Warron Zevon song, featuring the Wolfmen. This is a great opening track and one of the many highlights of the album. There is also going to be a cartoon video for this track, I can't wait to see it.

The next track is a Ramones tribute, Don't we miss you now. This track makes me laugh because it's as silly as the Ramones are, and you can even hear Matt laugh at the end!

The next track Honesty was written by Undadogz and features the drums from the A ha song Take on me, if I'm not mistaken! This is very singable (as is all of this album).

Wise Lies is next, a much more dancey sort of track. Again very singable!

Confusion is next, and this is the first featuring Terry Lee Miall on drums, and with those drums and the very catchy keyboard lines being boosted along by a very dirty guitar riff, this song is guaranteed to stick in your head!

And then we're onto Track 6- Angels are Forever, with more drumming of that ex Ant I mentioned before, Mr Terry Lee Miall, plus guitar from Marco Pirroni. This is a brilliant track, the drumming moves the song up a gear. It's very hummable (and if you've visited the myspace site you'll have heard it and should be humming along too!) Did I say it was very hummable?!! It's definately a highlight of an already very good album. If you haven't turned up your cd player by now, well switch off!!

Crazy Demons brings the album down a notch to a more chilled vibe, again with some excellent drumming from Mr Miall (he ought to try and make a career out of this malarky if you ask me!)

Chant Mantra sounds like earlier Mantra 2, much more dancey and keyboard led.

Star begins with a burst of guitar and a drum machine rattles away. This sounds very 80s to me, almost Harold Faltemeyer! Again not a bad thing in my opinion!

Mantra 2 Filthy remix is a mix with Kraftwerk's Tour de France's rhythm , a great remix by Mr Cartrouble.

And finally onto the final songs- Goodbye parts one and two. These are both excellent, bringing the album back up a notch at the end. It would have been ruined I think to have ended with the remixes on the end, but this two parter is again a hightlight of a great album.

The album does dip a little at the end until Goodbye 1 and 2, but all in all this is a very good album. I've played it quite a few times now and I haven't got sick of it yet! Great post production by Carty, and great songs by Mantra 2!

Do yourself a favour, buy this album!!
It's available to pre order on HMV now!