Tuesday, January 31: Manmade God, “Pulp”
By the time Manmade God released their self-titled debut full-length in 2003, the band was a long way from the thrash roots of their seemingly impossible to find 1998 EP, as well as down a few members: by 2003, ex-guitarist Ahrue Luster had already joined and left Machine Head, while two of the three ex-Forbidden members that founded the band were gone. As a result, Manmade God wasn’t a thrash album at all, but instead a largely mid-paced alternative metal record somewhat behind the times. “Pulp” was mostly representative of the album, if a bit faster: Pann’s vocals felt more 1995 than 2003, but that was actually a bit refreshing considering the state of rock early in the millennium. And even if Craig Locicero was really underplaying, his riffing showed a more groove-oriented side to his playing. Here’s something funny: Manmade God was actually released by a major label (American), something that feels absolutely inconceivable today.