The Million Masks Of God - Manchester Orchestra: Review
Manchester Orchestra
are an Atlanta based indie rock band who have been releasing music since 2006. They found critical success on the back of their first two records I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child and Mean Everything To Nothing in the 2000's. The bands initial output in the 2010's, namely 2011's Simple Math and 2014's Cope weren't nearly as acclaimed upon their initial release. The band returned in 2017 with A Black Mile To The Surface which very quietly became a major fan favorite and one of the most critically successful indie albums of that year. After 4 years of relative quiet the band has returned with their 6th album on the back of three singles released in the earlier months of 2021.
Review By Lav:
While I am not a Manchester Orchestra super fan I have always enjoyed their music. I think their debut Virgin is supremely underrated and while I wasn't head over heels for Black Mile I did give the record a positive review 4 years ago and it had me excited for what the band would do next. That excitement was even greater after hearing some of the singles leading up to this record. When all is said and done Million Masks is far from revolutionary for the band or the genre, but they do prove that they can still execute their strengths with solid consistency.
The first two singles for the record were what really got me into the album. Bed Head is a very familiar sound for the group. I love the hook and the addition of the guitar peddle effects adds a ton to the songs atmosphere. The soaring hook vocals are also a big highlight and I come away from the song really enjoying it. Keel Timing also impresses me more every time I hear it. I love the quiet refrains and incredibly slick bassline on the verses and I buy into the false start for the chorus every time. That makes it even more satisfying when the drums start crashing and the chorus rushes in. It's one of the catchiest and best written tracks on the album for sure.
Thankfully these weren't the only songs here I was impressed with. Dinosaur was a surprise highlight for me with clapping instrumentation that sets it apart from any other song here. It progresses into something a little bit more familiar by the back half of the album and the transition is seamless. I also think the more reserved hook genuinely works at eliciting emotion here and makes me wish they had maybe done similar things more often. The opening track Inaudible is a fittingly grand beginning. It works its way from a nearly silent introduction into a harrowing high energy hook with crashing cymbals and soaring vocal harmonies. It's undoubtedly epic and if you can overcome just how polished everything is there is a lot to like about it. I enjoyed the closing track The Internet even more. While the songs theme and instrumental hook aren't clear from the earliest moments, they are there and quite satisfying by the tracks conclusion. By the time the blistering guitars set in around the 3 minute mark it really starts to feel like a grand finale with vocal layering and an absolutely huge mix.
Angel Of Death is a solid track with a lot of energy right out of the gate. It still finds a way to build up to a pair of pretty satisfying climaxes. The lyricism and performances are once again aiming for something quite grand and this makes the quieter moments feel like welcome relief. The vocals are really the only let down here and are prone to occasionally slipping up across the track. Annie is reserved but not quite what I would call a ballad with more loud drums serving as a transitional point and a couple of pretty emphatic refrains. While it is definitely a bit too dramatic for its own good I don't think it ruins some of the songs catchier parts. Way Back starts off as an indie folk style cut that throws it back to the 2000's before working its way into something more instrumentally robust. The transition is smooth and keeps the track relatively fresh even though I don't really find any of its refrains that engaging.
Telepath was the third and final single despite being the shortest song on the record. It goes after some gospel style ground vocals but they fail to land. The mix does a terrible job of interpolating them into the song and the whole thing is also just light on good instrumentation and songwriting. After listening to this record a few times the constant attempts at grandeur started to aggravate me pretty heavily. Let It Storm is usually the point on the record where that came out as it really shoots for the starts with some lyrics that imply a religious implication. It definitely falls short compared to some of the much more impactful crescendos you can find elsewhere on the album. Finally Obstacle is easily the records most forgettable song delivering totally standard indie rock riffs and refrains that I feel like I've heard dozens of times before.
The Million Masks Of God is well, fine. The band produces a few solid highlights to add to their pretty consistent high end discography but once again get lost in a lot of the details of the deep cuts. Despite that I think the band once again pulls of what they are known for and have delivered another solid record, certainly giving me enough reason to tune in again they next time they come around. 6.5/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
I love covers like this. It gives me the same energy as Phoebe Bridger's Punisher cover and that is very satisfying. The concept is cool and seen before but it's executed very well. The colors draw you in and aren't over saturated or annoying to look at. The subject could be a little more defined because on smaller screes it's harder to see and the black area around the center could have some stars of something of interest but it doesn't necessarily need it since the focal point does the job. The need for text could make of break it and it could have been used to fill some of the empty space or faintly added around the circle to give it some branding. Overall I'm happy with it and think it's a cool cover.
