Manu Armata – No Victory Without Strife, From The Heart In Your Face & Surpass The Master

Well you lucky readers are treated to not one, not two but three reviews for releases by MANU ARMATA. Why I hear you ask? Well after listening to their new album “Surpass the Master“, I went looking to see what else I could find by them and you can download their debut album “No Victory Without Strife” and EP “From The Heart In Your Face” for free…yes bloody free!!! (see link at bottom of the review)

So just who are MANU ARMATA, well they are a hardcore band hailing from Harlingen in the Netherlands. The play brutal thrash tinged hardcore in the vein of TERROR (think “Lowest of the Low”). The guitars and drums push the tempo of each song up to 100mph, while the bass grooves nicely over the barrage of speed. The final piece is the punchy, aggressive vocals that bring everything together. We will start with the new album “Surpass The Master” which clocks in at 19 minutes and is 8 songs of bone crunching thrash tinged brutal hardcore. The album opens up with ‘Self Reliant‘, which starts off with a slow build up and a spoken word monologue before MANU ARMATA slam their foot on the gas and bring the beating. This is hardcore and how it should be; short, sharp and to the point. The songs average just under 2 minutes as MANU ARMATA are intent on a high impact ferrous assault that never relents until the end.

Next up is “From The Heart In Your Face” EP, this is made up of 4 songs and clocks in at 10 minutes. From the start MANU ARMATA don’t let up the attack, the songs are brutal hardcore and when they do relent up on the speed the beat down to follow is still brutal. This release has more of a MADBALL, SUBZERO, SKARHEAD influence on the tracks. However the main underlying influence is still TERROR and that’s what shines through on the release.

“No Victory Without Strife”, the debut album I think, is 7 songs and 16 minutes of hardcore! Unlike the sound on the new album this is has a more hardcore influence. The TERROR thrashy hardcore is still present and the driving force but it involves more influences from SUBZERO, TURMOIL, STAND AGAINST, MADBALL and a smidgen of HATEBREED (Satisfaction…era). So what’s not to love?

Each release shows how they have honed their sound and if they keep evolving at this rate then I wouldn’t be surprised if they get the recognition they deserve! Like your hardcore brutal, thrashy, crushing and to the point then go checkout MA as these guys won’t disappoint. These guys have even been added to my gym/running playlist and that’s a hard feat to get included on that playlist. Some people might just see MANU ARMATA as a TERROR copy, but imitation is the best form of flattery (so they say) and these guys do it nearly as good as the kings of the genre. So I say let them carry on with their brand of punishing hardcore and just enjoy.

If you want to get “No Victory Without Strife” and “From The Heart In Your Face” then click on the link below and download for free…I would then advise you to go out and buy the new album “Surpass The Master” and support a great hardcore band.

http://manuarmata.bandcamp.com/

SCORES

NO VICTORY WITHOUT STRIFE – 8.5

FROM THE HEART IN YOUR FACE – 9

SURPASS THE MASTER – 9

ALBUM INFO

NO VICTORY WITHOUT STRIFE

1… Intro
2… Forced In Defence
3… No Victory Without Strife
4… Antagonized
5… Infirmity of Purpose
6… Inanimate
7… Resurrection

LABEL – Self Released

RELEASE DATE – 1st October 2010

 

FROM THE HEART IN YOUR FACE

1… From the Heart in your Face
2… Clenched
3… Unworthy
4… Existence is Futile

LABEL – 5FeetUnder Records

RELEASE DATE – 23rd December 2011

 

SURPASS THE MASTER

1… Self-Reliant
2… Close to the Heart
3… Remain
4… Sideline
5… Torn
6… Ashamed
7… Loyal to da Grave
8… Blinded

LABEL – Beatdown Hardwear

RELEASE DATE – 5th September 2014