ManifestiV - Horsemen

ManifestiV began their career out as a duo of two morticians who met in 2011 in Dallas, Texas decided three years after their meeting to form ManifestiV. Bandmates Paragraph Taylor and EvE combined their instruments to "score the apocalypse". After releasing their debut album, the band continued to tour around the world. In After releasing their 2018 EP, ManifestiV recruited members Ryan A. and Kevin Porter in 2019. After a small EP "3vE" containing two remixes and a cover, ManifestiV has returned with a brand new EP continuing their journey through the apocalypse. As fitting a title as any, "Horsemen" is their 2021 EP. Four band members, four horsemen. 



Anyway, the EP begins with 'The Curve', This is not a song that taps into ManifestiV's rough side; this is rather a psychedelic trip through their synthetic side. It is a curious tale of forlorn hopes and otherworldly travel. Trying to sum up the exact tone of the song has been difficult for me, as I tried multiple times to explain it but each time I get up with a summary, I deleted the sentence as it didn't fit the mold of the song. This is just an enjoyable song that's best listened to than explained. My only complaint about the song is that, though the experimental electronics are well made and produced, I felt as if it could have been shorter. I feel as if the track is an extremely extended intro without much meat to hold it altogether. 

Alas, I was thrust into ManifestiV's follow-up song 'Arrival'. It did not take more than a mere moment for me to get hit with crunchy guitars; what's enjoyable about the song, however, is that it does not stray from the set-up 'The Curve' provided. The guitars hit but do not overwhelm, and throughout the track EvE's vibraphone Silba (custom made, nonetheless) traveled from one earbud to the next. It created a wonderful spatial sound. 'Drummer Dust' kept up similar antics as 'The Curve', but allowed for a few more quiet and synthetic moments in between the guitar riffs. Similar sounds play on 'Business As Usual' though in quite a different tempo. I will admit that I found this song to be the least engaging out of the bunch, perhaps of the lack of originality I found within the song. However, I much appreciated the outro of the song; without spoiling too much, it comes off as a cliffhanger to a movie. To be continued indeed.

So I come off of ManifestiV's latest album impressed enough but also wanting more. What I like about their project is that they do have a unique sound; space-faring metal is the best way I can describe their antics. However, they seem to have a comfort zone on this EP that they're unable to leave. I think that if the project were to further experiment with their synthetic side they would come out even better than they already are. The project is still in their early stages and have plenty of time to develop; watch out for them, for I can see ManifestiV becoming better and better as time goes on. Six-and-a-half out of ten. Not bad! 

This review was commissioned through our Ko-fi page.
Apr 11 2021