Description

2017 re-issue with liner notes from original founding member Marcel Verdurmen

Hailing from Netherlands, Mandator were initially not solely a thrash metal band – instead, their music in the beginning involved elements of thrash and more mellow heavy metal. The band’s debut album Initial Velocity is in many ways very similar to Stricken By Might by E-X-E, in other words, some hectic thrash metal accompanied with more conventional tracks. It’s like a half of the tracks represent fast, straighforward thrashing whereas the other half consists of calmer but still quite heavy stompers. Black Rose, for instance, starts off with a fast, manic thrash groove, but finishes off in a more melodic, classic metal style. I actually like this blending of styles as it makes for more dynamic song writing. Likewise, Jack Boots And Leather Caps has a very classic sound. Power Of The Law, on the other hand, picks up the tempo and continues in a similar mode to album opener Atilla. Both are choice thrashers. The vocals range seemingly easily from raw and strained to more melodic and mellow depending on the track and despite the different styles the album manages to sound rather uniform. Overall, Initial Velocity is not a bad example of old speed/thrash.

Track listing:
1. Attilla
2. Black Rose
3. Faces Of Death
4. Jack Boots And Leather Caps
5. Power Of The Law
6. Evil Dead
7. Posers
8. I Will Be Your Last