I really don't know about other countries, but here in my lands, there are a lot of complains about Metal styles. Yes, complains, not polite talks, and harsh words are spoken when we are dealing with modern Metal styles, as Metalcore, Melodic Death Metal, New Metal, and all of those. Here, some moldy-bangers have a deep, and fundamentally passion for 80's Metal. And these cursed tongues and talks really are eroding Metal and causing damages. And it's a pity, for many new bands I'm talking about from 2005 to now) could be a success in bringing new bangers to Metal. Bands as MANDEED had potential to do so, but now, they're gone. But thanks to Nuclear Blast Records, their first album, "This War Will Last Forever", originally released on 2006, is again on the stores.

Even being a bit raw in their own style, this fine Scottish quintet played a fine and intense mix between Metalcore with intense and abrasive Melodic Death Metal, with songs full of great amounts of energy and with a pretty fine technique. And of course their musical arrangements are too fine, with some guitar riffs that seems a lot with the ones we usually hear on Power Metal bands. And even the vocals are using an aggressive tune of voice, different from low grunts we usually see on Metalcore. They really were different from the greater part of the bands of the style. And giving them a different insight from the whole Metalcore scene, they had some great guest on this album, as two vocalists (Many Rivers and Dom Lawson), two violinists (Sarah Button and Samy Bishai), Jake Walker on viola, Ivan Hussy on cello and Troy Donnockley on uilleann pipes and low whistles. And the result is very good.

The sound quality is pretty good, with a good and clean (but as not as it really could be) sound flowing from the speakers. But it is heavy and aggressive as it could be. So be prepared for a good and powerful sound impact ."Beneath A Burning Sky" (an abrasive, fast and massive attack of good guitar riffs and harsh shrieked vocals, but tempered with great melodies), the mid tempo "Remains Of The Day" (aggressive, harsh, but introduced by melodic female voices, and even some melodic riffs in the vein of IRON MAIDEN appears), the abrasive and strong "Poisoned Hearts" (very good vocals once more, but with a particular show from drums), the perfect mix between melodies and aggressiveness on "Resurrecting Hope", and the long "The Black Death" (more than 11 minutes of duration, with an almost perfect work done by the band as a whole) can be said as their finest moments on this first album.

A good first coming, being a promise on those times...<