MANITOU – No Signs Of Wisdom

No Signs Of Wisdom is the third full-length release from Finnish Metallers Manitou, coming after The Mad Moon Rising and Deadlock. The band also has a short EP from 2006 to their name. The nine song No Signs Of Wisdom has a playing time of a little over 46 minutes.

Manitou plays a traditional style of Metal, with lots of heavy riffs, a deep bottom end, memorable melodies, and forceful vocals on No Signs Of Wisdom‘s nine tracks. Every so often, a solid guitar solo rips through your speakers, grabbing your attention for a bit. This recipe for success has served lots of bands well over the years, and Manitou doesn’t mess with the established formula too much. The album’s not overly heavy, but it has more than its share of heft. It won’t blister any paint, though.

The first four songs on the album – “In This Indolence,” Dread Of The Freaks,” “No Signs Of Wisdom,” and “The End Within” – are probably the best the disc has to offer, with lots of heaviness, chugging momentum, and plenty of catchy riffing. The title track in particular is quite good in this regard, a nice combination of catchiness and heaviness, topped with a memorable riff. Vocalist Markku Pihlaja is an energetic singer with a forceful delivery and he gives these songs life, while the guitars of Markus Vanhala and Antti Lauren have lots of buzz and snap.

However, with the fifth track “Harbinger,” the album seems to take a turn towards Hard Rock territory; this song and the couple that follow, “Polluted World” and “Some Of The Sins Revealed,” definitely aren’t as heavy as the tunes that preceded them. The riffs and energy are still there, but the change in tone is definitely noticeable. These songs are good, but you might be wondering if someone replaced the middle section of the album with some Pink Cream 69 tracks.

No Signs Of Wisdom picks up steam again towards the end with two pretty good songs in “The Loon” and the 11-minute “The August Sky.” “The Loon” has some pretty strong, rough-edged riffs and a memorable vocal refrain, and while “The August Sky” is a long song, it’s a worthwhile one with good atmosphere and nice melodic guitars.

No Signs Of Wisdom is overall a pretty good album, although it’s a little bit inconsistent (for reasons earlier mentioned). Still, Manitou has put out a respectable offering that’s certainly worthy of your time.