The Demo Review:
Band Name: Manifest
Demo Title: Broken Fortune
Band Members: Sean (guitars), Ronnie (vocals), Craig (bass), Dan (guitars), and Anthony (drums)
Location: Lowell, MA

Rating: 2 Skulls

  • Email for this Artist
  • Official Web Site for this Artist
  • Discuss on the Metal Judgment Web Board
  • Submit/Read Reader Reviews of this Demo

    • Jotun's Review:
    The first impression that Manifest gives listeners, as the opening track from their three-song demo Broken Fortune begins, is that it sounds heavy as hell. But it doesn't take too long before middle-of-the-road vocals and overzealous musicianship takes over to remind you - this is a demo.

    It must be said that, from what I understand from the band's Web site, the band members are still in high school. If that is the case, then I will immediately give them a thumbs up, as the music they've recorded on Broken Fortune does sound better than most garage band demos.

    There are a lot of positive points to take away from this album, and maybe that's why I'm being so harsh with it. Overall, the band seems to be packed full of talent, but are not yet capable of harnessing that talent in the right way - namely writing strong, yet catchy metalcore songs. The music sounds like a cross between Korn and Incubus, and the vocals run all over the place. Yes, they do span a number of different screaming types, but also include off-key moanings similar to Jonathan Davis. Also, tell Anthony to lay off the China cymbal for a few minutes. By the time these three songs were done, I was driving erratically due to a loss of balance.

    Once again, another positive note to take away is the fact that the band has been fortunate enough (or good enough) to attract some attention from bar and club owners, and have even played shows with the likes of As I Lay Dying and Diecast, with ones coming up alongside All That Remains and Soulfly. Perhaps their sound is that much more intense and the shortcomings are harder to judge in a live setting. If that is the case, then congratulations. But I hope they can refine and boost their sound before too many more albums are released.
    2 out of 5

    [- Metal Judgment Home -]    [- Email Metal Judgment -]
    ©2001 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.