Praying Mantis-Time Tells No Lies (1981)

Praying Mantis is considered one of the leading bands of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) scene; however, unlike their contemporaries, they followed a much more melodic and commercial musical direction. Their origins date back several years before the NWOBHM genre was officially established, specifically to the mid-seventies. Founded by brothers Chris and Tyler Toy, on bass and guitar respectively, along with drummer Dave Potts and guitarist Steve Carroll, they released the EP "Soundhouse Tapes" in 1979. The following year, due to their growing reputation, they opened for Iron Maiden and Ronnie Montrose in the UK. Their spectacular concerts opened the doors to Arista Records, with whom they released their first album and, ultimately, their most commercially successful work, "Time Tells No Lies", in 1981. Featuring a spectacular cover by the renowned illustrator Rodney Matthews (a trend that would become a hallmark of all their work), this debut album contained an explosive mix of epic and powerful heavy metal with soaring melodies and intricate instrumentation, as demonstrated in the opening track "Cheated". Their epic side is showcased in the sensational "Lovers to the Grave", and their energetic melodic heavy metal tracks include "Children of the Earth" and "Beads of Ebony". Meanwhile, their furious cover of The Kinks' "All Day and All Out of the Night" adds a touch of commercial appeal. However, the band's instability and poor promotion by Arista hindered their ability to achieve greater success. The following year, the band changed labels, signing with Jet Records and releasing several singles that met with little success, leading to their eventual breakup until their reunion in 1987. However, during those early years, Praying Mantis had amassed a large following in Japan, a country where they were revered and their work enjoyed great success. In recognition of their thousands of Japanese fans, the band reformed in 1990, with former Iron Maiden members Dennis Stratton and Paul Di'Anno joining the lineup for a nostalgic tour of Japan. The Japanese audience responded enthusiastically, which motivated them to release the album "Live At Last" and a new studio album, "Predator In Disguise" (1991), achieving overwhelming sales and critical acclaim. From this point on, the band continued releasing a series of well-received and highly successful albums such as “A Cry For The New World” (1993), “To The Power Of Ten” (1995), and “Forever In Time” (1998), all sharing a common thread: frequent lineup changes. Despite these changes, the quality of their work never diminished. In 2007, they released one of their most celebrated albums, “Sanctuary”, which garnered widespread acclaim and achieved phenomenal sales. The same success followed with their subsequent albums, “Legacy” (2015) and “Gravity” (2018), which garnered them thousands of fans worldwide. Currently, Praying Mantis is one of the few remaining active bands from the NWOBHM movement, having sold over 30 million albums globally after a 40-year career.