YOUNG SKELETON

"Young Skeleton" is a single release by Norwegian experimental music act Manes. The single was released through Aftermath Music in April 2020. It´s the first release featuring new music from Manes since the release of their fifth full-length studio album "Slow Motion Death Sequence" from August 2018. Both tracks from the single are exclusive to this release.

The "Young Skeleton" track is a predominantly acoustic track featuring vocals and guitar, but as the song progresses more elements and layers of instruments are added to create atmosphere, and it´s overall a nicely melancholic rock song. "Mouth of the Volcano" opens slightly darker and heavier, but still features a mostly acoustic/non-distorted approach, although layers of sounds and samples are heard sooner on this tracks than it is on the "Young Skeleton" track. Around one minute into the song it turns heavy as distortion and both male clean- and growling vocals are added (and later female vocals). It´s actually quite the brilliant track. heavy, dark, and featuring an eerie haunting atmosphere.

It´s interesting how different these tracks are to the material found on "Slow Motion Death Sequence" and Manes have arguably not sounded this dark and heavy (and metal oriented) since "Vilosophe" (their second full-length studio album from May 2003). A nice little single release this one and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).