The First Sin

Wow, why was I downloading St. Anger? Oh yeah, I actually liked new Metallica back then. Well it's probably good that I did because if I didn't I wouldn't have found Manditory, or Megadeth. This is a great start for Manditory, a great three songs that will play over and over again in your head. The only downside is the songs are a bit repetitive at times (like that incredibly long intro to The Wanderer...), and they are a bit of a Metallica ripoff (Rusty sounds almost exactly like James). However, the repetition doesn't bore you because it's only a short demo, and the similarity to Metallica isn't bad, cuz Metallica, at least old Metallica, kicks ass. One difference Manditory has to Metallica is more melody, such as in the chorus of The Wanderer. Some may argue that it's whiny, but the song really isn't emo at all and I think it actually adds some variation to the song. Here is a review of each track:

1. The Creature Within 8/10
Awesome song, but with a few flaws. The riff gets a bit repetitive after awhile but the solo fixes that problem. The drumming here really stands out, it's very clear as well as Rusty's powerful vocals. The lyrics veer a little close to the nu-metal cliche of "something growing inside of me" that bands such as Korn never tire of using, but Rusty's growl makes it obvious that this is not nu-metal, some will even go as far to say Manditory is thrash at it's finest. The next two tracks are better.

2. Killjoy Roy 10/10
A bit of a strange name, but a GREAT song. The intro is awesome, with some very good drumming and a guitar harmony. You can't help but headbang to the main riff, which is catchy as hell, and the song's got a great melodic chorus. There is an acoustic solo that really stands out about 3/4 of the way through the song, which leads into a great electric solo that continues to the end of the song. The vocals, drumming, and bass are good as well, and the lyrics are pretty original, especially considering Rusty wrote this when he was 16. The song ends with a lead-in to the next song, The Wanderer. Personally, I can't find a flaw in this song.

3. The Wanderer 10/10
One of my favorite songs of all time. It has a long intro which does annoy some people, but I think it adds to the effect. The song starts very calm and slow, with something that sounds like wind in the background, while a guitar repeats the same riff over and over. Pretty soon the drums and bass come in and the song gets heavy as hell, and then speeds up. Rusty's powerful voice is a strong point again when the vocals come in, and when the song slows at the chorus he actually sings, which isn't as good as his growling but it's still good. After the chorus an awesome guitar part comes in, followed by another verse and chorus. Then here comes the best part...the solo. The first time I heard this it blew me away, although it's actually not that hard to play it sounds amazing. The song slows down again for another chorus, and you think the song ends fading out, but then the intrumentals come in again for a short finale to wake your ass up. Cool lyrics about possession too.

Great demo, buy it NOW and support this up and coming band, because they deserve to make it big. Lend Me Your Ears, Ride in the Sky, and Evil in Disguise are great songs too, and are going to be on their full-length, Lend Me Your Ears, which will NOT include the songs on this demo, so buy it now while you still can!