Review by Michael on August 18, 2022.

“Nothing is as it used to be

Humanity was forced to leave Earth and give its fate

To the last rescue mission” 

What once sounded like some apocalyptic visions from some scientists like Stephen Hawking seem to become sooner the last chance for mankind to survive than anybody thought when you look at the desperate state our world is in these days. But of course Aquilla couldn't foresee how fast this may happen and made up a very interesting science-fiction story out of this topic which makes it really worth reading the lyrics. Also the cover artwork is a very dark, futuristic painting which reminds me a little bit of Dune. The booklet is designed in a 70s Buck Rogers- style (the characters) but the photos of Chris Scanner, Hippie Banzai, Blash Raven, Peter Slammer and Kriss Invader (where is Arthur Dent???) promise some cool 80s heavy metal stuff.

Our odyssey starts with a spoke intro where I stole my intro from. Thanks God it's not a boring epic Iron Maiden intro like the Brits did on their last album for about two CDs but the guys from Warsaw stark kicking ass with 'The Arrival'. Some punchy classic heavy metal guitar riffs let us settle home on our new planet and let us feel very comfortable there. Clearly you can hear some NWoBHM influences with the galloping guitars and the melodies but it sounds fresh and cool and have some similarities to the actual traditional Swedish metal scene. The vocals remind me a little bit of a slight deeper version of Joacim cans and fit pretty well into the setting. 'Pathfinder' is a song that rises its tension during the 5 minutes through some clever melody arrangements and breaks and the chorus is a really catchy one. 'Intersection' is another classic metal track with interesting hooks and some very cool guitar solos. The high-pitched screams combined with the regular vocals remind may be a little homage to King Diamond though the atmosphere of the songs isn't that dark as in compositions from our Danish legend. 'Saviors Of The Universe', the longest track on the album, shows as clearest on Mankind's Odyssey the bands Swedish influences – it starts with the riffs and ends with the vocal arrangements. But it's no copycat stuff and a very epic track to end the journey of the human race (okay, apart from the keyboard outro that follows). As bonus the band re-recorded their first single 'Zero' which they originally released in 2016 that deals with some Samurai stuff. It's a very nice idea to do so and shows that the songwriting skills since that time have grown. It's an okay song but I would prefer the newer stuff because of their finesse. Maybe a split with Japanese Significant Point would be a cool thing!

So is everything fine with the release? The semi-ballad 'Scarlet Skies' is a little bit too cheesy and predictable and the sonorous vocals sound much too over. This may be the weakest track on the album. Another song that doesn't convince to 100% is 'Rapt In Darkness'. Here the band tries to compose a little metal opera song with a lot of different vocal pitches and all this is a little bit too overloaded and hectic.

All in all Aquilla did a very good job with this album and if you are into classic British heavy metal and newer traditional metal bands like Ambush, Enforcer or HammerFall Mankind's Odyssey is something you will probably like. It seems that the guys invested a lot of passion into this album – starting with the booklet, the songwriting and ending with a very well-done and powerful production.

Rating: 8.7 out of 10 Twikis

Review by Yener on May 20, 2019.

Okay, so I’m late to the game on this one. Call it laziness, call it not paying attention, call it what you will, but I've never paid attention to Goatwhore until just recently. I had heard some tracks here and there and they didn't do much for me, probably because their previous offerings were more in the realm of black metal.

A night of late YouTube browsing led me to “Baring Teeth for Revolt” and my anus just wasn't ready. I can’t quite describe the feeling I had when hearing this, but it was like savage bliss. The guitars, drums, riffs, it sounded so violent I couldn't believe just how awesome this was. Roughly five minutes later I had the album ordered. I had to have this.

Sammy Duet is well known for his work in Acid Bath, and for good reason. Acid Bath were an amazing band that pushed the boundaries of what we call rock and metal. Thing is, I had no idea he was in Goatwhore. If I did, I would have paid more attention a long time ago, as I love the fuck out of Acid Bath. 

Here we kick things off with “Poisonous Existence in Reawakening” and boy, these guys don’t fuck around at all. Straight for the throat, chocking the life out of you, riff after riff. This still has the black metal vibe, which is also very apparent on “Unraveling Paradise”, but it’s done extremely well. The songwriting is top notch, the arrangements are very carefully thought out, and everything just makes sense musically. The production and mix on the album are what I would call perfect for this type of album. Punchy, clear, but not too clear, if you know what I mean. This is still definitely rough around the edges and has a lot of bite to it. It’s not overly polished at all.

“Baring Teeth for Revolt” just may be one of the best metal songs ever written. Yeah, I went there. But everything about this song just screams METAL. From the riffs, to the outstanding vocals and perfect drum work, this is just a slice of fucking metal heaven. A big slice at that. Also, that has got to be one of the most brutal, most aggressive guitar tones I've ever heard. Shit is just violent. Sounds like Sammy’s ESP wants to fucking rip your spleen out.

The album features some more dynamic work rather than severely punishing death/black metal. The dynamics are laid out nicely and it appears that there’s something here for everyone, though I’m sure Goatwhore couldn't give a fuck about anything or anyone. These guys just play the music they want to hear. I mean you’re not exactly setting yourself up for success with a name like Goatwhore to begin with. This is top notch stuff, definitely check it out if you like your metal fast, aggressive, and no nonsense whatsoever. You will not be disappointed.

Highlights: Baring Teeth for Revolt, Fucked By Satan, Poisonous Existence in Reawakening, Unraveling Paradise, Reanimated Sacrifice.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Yener on May 20, 2019.

Okay, so I’m late to the game on this one. Call it laziness, call it not paying attention, call it what you will, but I've never paid attention to Goatwhore until just recently. I had heard some tracks here and there and they didn't do much for me, probably because their previous offerings were more in the realm of black metal.

A night of late YouTube browsing led me to “Baring Teeth for Revolt” and my anus just wasn't ready. I can’t quite describe the feeling I had when hearing this, but it was like savage bliss. The guitars, drums, riffs, it sounded so violent I couldn't believe just how awesome this was. Roughly five minutes later I had the album ordered. I had to have this.

Sammy Duet is well known for his work in Acid Bath, and for good reason. Acid Bath were an amazing band that pushed the boundaries of what we call rock and metal. Thing is, I had no idea he was in Goatwhore. If I did, I would have paid more attention a long time ago, as I love the fuck out of Acid Bath. 

Here we kick things off with “Poisonous Existence in Reawakening” and boy, these guys don’t fuck around at all. Straight for the throat, chocking the life out of you, riff after riff. This still has the black metal vibe, which is also very apparent on “Unraveling Paradise”, but it’s done extremely well. The songwriting is top notch, the arrangements are very carefully thought out, and everything just makes sense musically. The production and mix on the album are what I would call perfect for this type of album. Punchy, clear, but not too clear, if you know what I mean. This is still definitely rough around the edges and has a lot of bite to it. It’s not overly polished at all.

“Baring Teeth for Revolt” just may be one of the best metal songs ever written. Yeah, I went there. But everything about this song just screams METAL. From the riffs, to the outstanding vocals and perfect drum work, this is just a slice of fucking metal heaven. A big slice at that. Also, that has got to be one of the most brutal, most aggressive guitar tones I've ever heard. Shit is just violent. Sounds like Sammy’s ESP wants to fucking rip your spleen out.

The album features some more dynamic work rather than severely punishing death/black metal. The dynamics are laid out nicely and it appears that there’s something here for everyone, though I’m sure Goatwhore couldn't give a fuck about anything or anyone. These guys just play the music they want to hear. I mean you’re not exactly setting yourself up for success with a name like Goatwhore to begin with. This is top notch stuff, definitely check it out if you like your metal fast, aggressive, and no nonsense whatsoever. You will not be disappointed.

Highlights: Baring Teeth for Revolt, Fucked By Satan, Poisonous Existence in Reawakening, Unraveling Paradise, Reanimated Sacrifice.

Rating: 9 out of 10