FLASH: XV E.P. – MAN WITH A MISSION

1 year ago

Fifteen years of career, that’s worth celebrating! And to mark the occasion, the wolf pack MAN WITH A MISSION unveils a new EP, XV e.p. Review!

XV E.P. – MAN WITH A MISSION

MAN WITH A MISSION has just released XV e.p. – and there’s no ambiguity behind this title! It’s an EP, and it celebrates their fifteen years of career. Simple, direct, effective. The pack with their raw sound offers four new tracks followed by eight live tracks, recorded in Mexico during their 2024 international tour. The whole record seems to show that the band looks back with nostalgia. But it’s not just that, of course. They open with Vertigo, with its unsettling, heavy, and above all, epic atmosphere! As usual, the balance of metal-pop-electro is spot on, and their attention to detail is immense. They even allow themselves a psychedelic detour before a powerful solo, and that completely enhances the feeling of vertigo!

However, the sense of nostalgia is more apparent in the following tracks. Circles is both a twilight and a dawn, bright with a deeply bittersweet feeling. With its hymn-like backing vocals, it will no doubt be very effective and emotional on stage! REACH FOR THE SKY, on the other hand, catches a few sparks of that nostalgia with its melody, and it’s the metamorphosis. There’s a vibrant, epic energy that drives it forward. The band speaks of change, courage, the fear of trying… and the desire to succeed. Highly motivating, this track, chosen as the first single, is sure to become a future classic for the band!

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Angst, nostalgia, and a surge of courage – all of this is found in the last new track of this EP, the rather gripping whispers of the fake. Each track, partially in English, and partially in Japanese, is dazzling and very representative of the band’s tender side. As for the eight live tracks, they perfectly represent their purely explosive side, the one made for the stage. It’s a great glimpse of what they can do if you haven’t seen them yet. But believe me, the real-life experience is truly exceptional! By the way, MAN WITH A MISSION doesn’t do things by halves, and with XV e.p., they’re announcing a tour in Europe and the United Kingdom, Howling Across The World, this autumn. Shall we meet up as a pack?