The Man-Eating Tree – Vine (2010)

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We at Infernal Masquerade are usually very busy reviewing all the stuff we get from labels, bands, etc., that we rarely have free time to go out and discover something new. Few weeks ago we found ourselves at a friend’s house being serenaded by this great band that we had no idea who it was, turning out to be The Man-Eating Tree, and we had been listening to “Vine” for almost 3 hours non stop. Long story short, we immediately got a copy of this album and became almost obsessed by it.

Featuring Vesa Ranta (ex-Sentenced) on drums, Janne Markus (Poisonblack) on guitars and Tuomas Tuominen (ex-Fall of the Leafe), The Man-Eating Tree boasts a very impressive line-up. The music in “Vine” can equate to the quality of musicians performing on it. The band plays a very Atmospheric brand of Gothic Metal that will surely grab you attention very quickly since it’s extremely good and appealing.

The first thing you will notice is since the first track “Lathing a New Man” the depressive mood kicks in, and with crushing riffs and tight drumming we found ourselves hooked, only to hear Tuomas and his very characteristic (and melancholic vocals) quickly adorning this song, in that moment we knew this album would be something very different in the over populated Gothic Metal genre.

As you can expect the musicianship in “Vine” is top notch, crafting 10 songs that are very well constructed in order to take the listener through an emotional rollercoaster ride. The guitar work is top notch and it never repeats it-self, being heavy enough to move away from the Rock category, we like the heavy riffs on this album. The drumming is excellent and very well utilized; it’s simple yet elegant and very well crafted. The bass guitar is always lurking around the corners but when called upon it unleashes its fury (like on “Tide Shift”).

One of the best elements on “Vine” is the keyboard that creates a good chunk of the thick atmosphere. The other great element of The Man-Eating Tree is the very emotional vocals of Tuomas, especially in songs like “This Longitude of Sleep” and “Out of the Wind”. While some people might argue that some words are mispronounced, we have to say that this adds an extra originality to the songs.

If you think that “Vine” is a linear album, you will be very surprised, since songs like “Nights in the White Satin” and “Amended” have completely different styles to them and they still work excellently at keeping the all-around vibe through this release. Other songs like “Tide Shift” offer a nice combination of different elements of other songs with extra elements like the acoustic guitars, in order to create a very dynamic sound.

As you can imagine by now, we love “Vine” and we would image that most fans of Gothic Metal with an emphasis on atmosphere and unique vocals will also love this album. Having formed in 2009, we can only see bring things in the future for such an excellent band like The Man-Eating Tree.

Band: The Man-Eating Tree Album: Vine
Label: Cobra Records

Release: September 22nd, 2010

Official Site myspace
Genre: Atmospheric Gothic Metal

Country: Finland

Rating: 91/100
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