The Chronicles Of Manimal And Samara – Count The Dead Single
Self-Released
Release Date: 08/10/2021
Running Time: 03:27
Review by Dark Juan
10/10
Hello, you beautiful people. It is I, Dark Juan and I am pleased to report that after only a couple of hours of unbroken swearing, some cut knuckles and blunt force trauma, the Mighty Gothikpanzer has had its wiper mechanism replaced by your correspondent, and it appears, reasonably able Satanic mechanic. Just in time for a sojourn to Goth Central, otherwise known as Whitby, for a few days. Therefore, I have to write a metric fuckton of reviews before I leave for a well-earned break from wrangling young gentlemen and from the exhortations of our Great Leader, Air Chief Marshal Lord Sir Richard “Master of The Barbed Editorial Comment” Tilley. Don’t think I hadn’t noticed your last quip, you absolute blackguard! Although I was surprised that you hadn’t compared me to Charles Hawtrey, to be fair. Charles Dance, indeed. Remember – A Lannister ALWAYS pays his debts!
So, to business. First, I should thank the old cove that is Rick for allowing me to do this review. Ever-Metal.com doesn’t normally do single reviews, but he has graciously permitted me to do this one. TCOMAS also requested that I write about their new single, personally, and that is a singular honour as far as I am concerned because I hold them in such high esteem. I am doing it because I think that The Chronicles Of Manimal And Samara are one of the most important bands the UK has produced in the past 50 years. They are timely and unique and a voice for the more geopolitically astute among our great metal fraternity and sorority. They are also ridiculously intelligent and refreshingly unconcerned with such trivialities as fitting into genres or having banal lyrical concepts centered around beer, fucking, the occult or drunken occult figures fucking. No, TCOMAS’ horror stories set to music are set in the here and now, and depressingly horrible their stories are. If you haven’t yet got yourself a copy of their debut album “Full Spectrum”, you really should stop reading this, RIGHT NOW, YOU FIEND, and educate yourself before reading on…
‘Count The Dead’ is a fucking FURIOUS song continuing the themes of ‘Love In The Time Of Pestilence’ from “Full Spectrum”, those being worldwide pandemic and global crisis and specifically referencing the COVID-19 epidemic and the (at least) 4 MILLION worldwide deaths from it, and being excoriatingly critical of the responses of world governments and the capitalist classes as they sought to extend power and create profit from a virus unlike any other.
The excoriation is savage. If words were weapons, Daphne Ang would be sharpening her wits on the skulls of her enemies. Daphne’s normally smooth and considered spoken word vocal has a palpable undercurrent of barely contained sorrow and rage, evidenced by the odd harsh syllable or tremble in her normally mellifluous voice during the verses of the song, and that controlled anger is released in explosive fashion on the chorus line by Andrea Papi unleashing the full power of an unconstrained and dangerous roar, not least on the line, “You prosper on fucking LIES!” (Emphasis mine.)
Musically, this song is a more muscular Tool and Mastodon in their proggier moments, and recorded in an unusual time signature. The production is the arctically clear and pure sound I have come to expect from TCOMAS and this is a damned superb heavy metal song, with something for the whole metal family to enjoy somewhere in it. The lyrics are meaningful and pertinent, accurate and could have been taken from my own fucking head, if I had any form of musical talent whatsoever (which I don’t) and the passion with which they are delivered lifts them from mere words and into something that the world could do with taking notice of…
I’ll leave the last word to the band themselves:
“Follow no leader, but leave no man behind.”
Quite!
The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System has been blown clear across the other side of the room (much to the chagrin of two Smellhounds at least) by TCOMAS once more bringing the righteous noise. Easily 10/10 for a single that is as metal as metal can be, be it musically or in its political and social consciousness.
Pre-Add/Pre-Save ‘Count The Dead’
https://tcomas.ffm.to/countthedead.ofp
LINE-UP:
Daphne Ang (Samara) – Vocals, Lyrics, Piano
Andrea Papi (Manimal) – Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
LINKS:
Read are EMQ’s with TCOMAS here:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of ‘Dark Juan’ and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
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