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Idle Hands emerged from the ashes of Spellcaster, which was a really cool band and one of the prominent exponents of the NWOTHM in the US. Band leader Gabriel Franco takes the helm here as well and mixes good ol' heavy metal with strong gothic rock moments that I wouldn't have thought possible even in my wildest dreams (or nightmares, because I fucking hate gothic rock).

The thing is: Mana is so wonderfully crafted, so ethereally beautiful and so badass at the same time that it's impossible not to be mesmerized by it. Franco's influences go as far as Sisters of Mercy, but there are genuine killer pure metal moments here like the impressive "Give Me to the Night" and "Cosmic Overdrive". Heavily emotional moments surface in the same intensity as the metal ones, notably the strange "Dragon, Why Do You Cry?" and "It'll be Over Before You Know It", but the songwriting is so damn strong all songs become equally important and interesting.

It has been a while since I've listened to something so fresh in the heavy metal genre. Mana is unique, depressive and emotional at the same time it's catchy, energetic and powerful. Do not sleep on this by any chance, as it'll most definitely be on a shit ton of "best of" year-end lists all around.