Praying Mantis / High Roller by Praying Mantis - RYM/Sonemic (2024)

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Grampus Sep 30 2008

Another Praying Mantis single released on a small independent label and another reason why the band just didn’t possess the stamina for the job at hand. The band’s debut album Time Tells No Lies showed a great deal of promise but, in the end, simply proves what a rare commodity talent actually is.

I’m sure I’ve said this before but it’s worth reiterating: an artist should never be judged on their first release. Instead, wait until the second or third album before making any assessment. The reason? When a band starts out they have the time to refine their act. Their repertoire could include songs that have been written and developed years ago. They may have built up a reserve of material on which to draw upon. They will probably be the veterans of the local gig circuit which they’ve used to hone their playing and identify the best arrangements for their songs. So, if they’re lucky enough to be offered a deal, they are invariably ready to roll.

Given that their debut album satisfies the demands of the record company and the sales provide enough of a return, the band will be expected to offer up a sophom*ore effort to a strict deadline – and that’s when the potential problems start. There may be material left over from the first album you could use, but than the reason it didn’t make the original cut was that it wasn’t considered good enough. So you have to start writing all over again, but without the luxury of time. At this time talent will out.

Sadly, it didn’t for Praying Mantis.

Published

20 Feb 2024

nbatman

10 Feb 2024

CZ316RYM24 Owned

30 Sep 2023

cosmowombo Other a keeper!

25 Jul 2023

67thave ▼ Above average

• A Praying Mantis

• B High Roller

13 Jul 2023

megadave83 average/listenable

25 May 2023

DrCliff Used to Own

10 May 2023

SavQuota i hear you

4 Dec 2022

chriskelley

20 Jun 2022

9shocksterror great, might come back to it later

11 Apr 2022

Luftogen

4 Feb 2022

legsdiamond123 Vinyl

26 Jan 2022

Daxtear Good

30 Apr 2021

Thrashdance Owned

18 Apr 2020

LieutenantRoastABotch

16 Oct 2019

WhitePaladin

Captured City / Johnny Cool

All Day and All of the Night / Beads of Ebony