September 27, 1999
Manticore
You may have felt this way before. Lethargically channel-hopping one hot summer's afternoon, sipping on a cold drink, you find yourself strangely transfixed by a bowls tournament on BBC2....
You may have felt this way before. Lethargically channel-hopping one hot summer's afternoon, sipping on a cold drink, you find yourself strangely transfixed by a bowls tournament on BBC2. Amazing, really, the precision and skill involved in the game. It's quite a craft, you have to admit. Hmm, maybe some Lowcraft is in order.
Because honestly, there are some talented musicians out there in Portland, Oregon. They know their Pearl Jam songbook back to front, and what the best album ever is ('OK Computer', of course). They flirt with androgyny. And so, when on the seductively sumptuous 'Inch Away From Heaven' pretty Nathan Khyber sings, "I feel completely bored", you're bored with him, not at him. And the same goes for 'Manticore''s other 11 windswept slow-rock anthems.
All hail the art of Compromise Rock. You may have liked sports metal once, but now you need something more 'intelligent'. Scared to sell out your metal principles, you justify moving in with Lowcraft at Pseud's Corner on the basis that 'they still have loud guitars'. The cover features a lank-haired man in a long coat staring into a mirror. 'Hang up your shorts,' he seems to say, 'I'm sensitive, you know.'
It's all very sad, of course, but don't worry, by the end of your first term at college, you'll be shagging in heaven with Fatboy Slim, and Lowcraft will just be a forgotten nightmare.4/10
NEW! For the latest music videos and backstage interviews, check out our brand new sister site, NME Video.
Comments do not always reflect the views of NME, or IPC Media, for guidelines visit our Ts & Cs page