BravePicks 2019 - IDLE HANDS' Mana #27
December 5, 2019, 5 years ago
As Dark Angel famously said, “Time Does Not Heal”, but it certainly moves fast and here we are again, staring at our annual BravePicks countdown where the devout scribes at BraveWords get to stand up and shout! 2019, yet another banner year for extreme music, whether you call it heavy metal or not. We do, cuz we wear it on our sleeves! So the votes are in and the compiling is complete! It's time to crown the winners and put the noose around the bands that truly let us down.
So who will be our #1? You’ll find out as we count down the BravePick Of 2019 each day in December!
Everybody has an opinion and it’s time for ours! And stay tuned in January for the writers’ individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments (a fan favorite!), Top 3 Concerts, What/Who Needs To Stop In 2019? and Metal Predictions For 2020. All will be showcased come the New Year!
So let’s commence the good, bad and ugly of 2019! First up, the Top 30 releases of 2019!
BravePicks 2019
27) IDLE HANDS – Mana (Eisenwald)
“If you’re looking for some peace of mind, don’t waste your time!” Gabriel Franco bellows these words on the debut from Idle Hands, based out of Portland. While this is the band’s first full-length offering, the members of this band splintered from traditional metal act Spellcaster and have grounded themselves in a Gothic metal/rock aesthetic. The songs breathe melancholic leads and moods along with a soulful and bleeding emotional vocal delivery from Franco. Snagging an opening slot on the recent King Diamond tour, Idle Hands are ones to keep an eye on and very worthy to waste time with!
Scribe Nick Balazs loved the album, and wrote in his review, “Idle Hands is more laid back, exploring gothic rock infused with the traditional metal dressing. Their full-length debut is a wicked mix of In Solitude, Type O Negative, and latter day Paradise Lost. The melodies are carefully crafted and will make for repeated listens, especially the punkish bounce of ‘Cosmic Overdrive’, the saddening beauty of ‘Dragon, Why Do You Cry’ and the emotional ‘A Single Solemn Rose’. Mana is truly an exceptional album and if you’re into that moodiness like the bands I’ve mentioned before, than be sure to get on this as you won’t be disappointed.”
BravePicks 2019 Top 30
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27) IDLE HANDS - Mana (Eisenwald)
28) HELL FIRE - Mania (Riding Easy)
29) SOILWORK - Verkligheten (Nuclear Blast)
30) MEMORIAM – Requiem For Mankind (Nuclear Blast)
