MANTIS

This, the only album from seventies Canadian band Mantis, only has three truly prog songs, but somehow remains quirky and likeable throughout. Like many bands of their time, Mantis shows quite a bit of humor in their songs, which sound to me to be mostly inspired by the west coast rock (The Jefferson Airplane, The Mamas & The Papas, The Doors...) of that era.

The three songs that spark my interest are What Does It Take, a piece that starts out omewhat nondescript, but turns into a sound like what Pink Floyd was working on in those days. Fred another shifting styles song, begins as a country blues jam, but after a nice guitar solo, the keyboards turn it into something similar to Keith Emerson & The Nice. Eyes Of Fire, the proggiest piece on the album, is a Santana-like jam, with some fusion and symphonic breaks.

Those three pieces easily make this an album worth owning for a prog fan, and the others, while more straightforward, are not so bad either.