Band: Manafest
Title: The Chase
Label: BEC Recordings
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Review By: Steve
Track Listing:
1. No Plan B
2. Fire In The Kitchen
3. Supernatural
4. Every Time You Run
5. Bring The Ruckus
6. Avalanche
7. Married In Vegas
8. Renegade
9. The Chase
10. Better Cause of You
11. Breaking Down The Walls
So here goes my first hip-hop review, at least this artist fuses rock and the hip-hop so I do not fully feel like a total fish out of water. The Chase is Manafest’s fourth full-length album. Hailing from Canada, Manafest has always had a history of mixing rock and hip-hop in a very successful way. Some of his previous hits include my favorite song of his “Impossible” which was a great anthem.
This album really is no different from his previous albums; however, the sound is much more mature and aggressive. With The Chase, I believe this is Manafest’s best work of mixing hip-hop and rock. Most of the songs have some powerful guitar riffs that get your head bobbing. As well as the music, Manafest does an outstanding job of weaving his clean vocals and rap around the guitars. The lyrics are like his previous albums and are very rhyme heavy; however, I have always enjoyed his clean singing. Lyrically, Manafest tackles some big concepts of realizing you need to come back to Christ in “Every Time You Run” to not turning back from Christ in “No Plan B.”
As always, Manafest always brings some special guests in for some guest vocals and this album is no different. Guest include:
• Koie in “No Plan B”
• Dustin Antsey in “Better Cause Of You” and “Break Free”
• Trevor McNevan in “Fire In The Kitchen,” “Every Time You Run,” and “Renegade”
The Best song on the album is “No Plan B” because it is probably the hardest song on the album and Koie of Cross Faith adds a unique screaming element that really adds some depth to the track. The other great song on the album is “Every Time Your Run” with Trevor of Thousand Foot Krutch. This song is softer but has a great message about someone who has been running on their own for so long and has realized that Christ is the only answer; however, the struggle to come back to Christ is not an easy thing to admit or to do. However, at the end of the Day Christ is always there.
Overall: this is an outstanding album by Manafest, and his best work to date. If you liked his older albums and his fusion of rock and hip-hop then this album is exactly what you need. Manafest brings some big guitars to the party that do not disappoint. If you have always enjoyed rock and hip-hop fusion then Manafest is one of the best out there, and you should definitely support him and his music by checking out The Chase.