Review Summary: From the whole of the record, you can tell the band is influenced by bands like Thousand Foot Krutch, Skillet, and Chevelle. Reason for Motion has a heavy, energetic hard rock sound throughout, with hints of alt-rock, pop/punk, and alt-metal.
Let’s be honest: Manic Drive is no longer relevant in the Christian music scene. Honestly, have you heard of them? If you haven’t, there’s a reason. Their most recent album, titled VIP, was a Newsboys and Tobymac ripoff that screamed generic. But, let’s rewind a few years. Go back to 2005, when Manic released their first record. While nothing special, it was a good hard rock album, nothing near as bad as anything they’ve previously released.
From the whole of the record, you can tell the band is influenced by bands like Thousand Foot Krutch, Skillet, and Chevelle. Reason for Motion has a heavy, energetic hard rock sound throughout, with hints of alt-rock, pop/punk, and alt-metal. However, although Manic shows you their influences, they don’t totally rip them off, either. Vocalist Shawn Cavallo has a smooth singing voice, with gruffer screams and grittier clean vocals. His voice fits perfectly for the band’s style: not too heavy, not too poppy either. Guitarist Mike Cavallo unleashes some great riffs, and though they’ve been heard before, he plays them so well, you tend to not notice the generic feel so much. Drummer Johnny Dimarco has his chances to shine, but for the most part, just plays typical drum sections for the genre. Bassist Phil Massicotte is practically inaudible throughout the whole of the record, and it mainly relies on the two-edged approach of vocalist and guitarist.
Trust me, there are some strong standout tracks, enough to perhaps buy the whole album. Luckiest has a decent rap, possibly the best screams of the record, and some great riffing. Something More and Nebulous blend the more melodic side of Manic with their heavier stuff brilliantly. Middle of It All is a strong, emotional ballad. Aimlessly is unique for it’s cool industrial-rock elements, and features one of the only audible bass parts the entire record. Alive has the best drumming all album, adding propulsion and energy to the second-to-last track.
Lyrically, pretty much expect anything you’ve heard from Thousand Foot Krutch, Red, or Skillet. While it’s not a provocative or innovative lyrical approach, Shawn is able to deliver the words passionately, giving a new sense of reality to them, and taking away a slight bit of their generic feel. Well, Manic Drive certainly sounded better in 2005 than they did in 2014. Is this one of the greatest Christian rock records? No, but with this album, Manic scored a place of respect among Christian rock heavyweights, touring with both TFK and Skillet. If you are looking for something groundbreaking, skip this. But, if you’re looking for an enjoyable hard rock release with some aggressive alt-metal touches and lighter pop/punk elements, I would highly recommend this.
