Driven by Sonic Obsession

The black sheep of Tang Dynasty’s discography is actually my second favorite album of theirs. Second only after the near-flawless sophomore album ‘Yǎnyì’, better known in the western world as ‘Epic’. Sure, ‘Mángcì’ (‘Thorn’) sounds different from the band’s earliest works in the sense that its overall sound is significantly heavier and more contemporary, but it’s also philosophically in line with every album that preceded it. The fusion of heavy metal, progressive rock and traditional Chinese elements is still dominating ‘Mángcì’, just with a different palette of sounds than before. And in my opinion, it generally works very well.

While ‘Mángcì’ initially comes across as more blunt and direct than its predecessors, it is in many ways the most subtle Tang Dynasty album to date. For example, the band doesn’t draw quite as much attention to the traditional Chinese melodies by frequently using them in distorted riffs rather than lead guitar parts or full-on folk sections. Also, Zhao Nian’s drums – which are delightfully thunderously produced – often tackle rhythms that appear to be influenced by Chinese percussion, but with the force and the kit of a rock drummer. In addition, the compositions are unpredictable even by prog standards, giving ‘Mángcì’ ample replay value.

Criticism of ‘Mángcì’ often focuses on the downtuned guitars and the ambient sections. Tuning down probably would have happened anyway to facilitate Ding Wu’s aging vocal cords – as seemingly evidenced by recent Tang Dynasty live recordings – rather than a desperate attempt at keeping up with the times. In fact, the riffs don’t necessarily focus on the lowest regions of the strings, though the crushing heaviness and ominous, almost alternative metal feel of the fantastic opening title track is facilitated by it. As for the ambient bits: ‘Zǐyè’ (‘Purple Leaf’) is too long and really hurts the flow of the album, but that’s the only instance of it bothering me.

‘Mángcì’ contains many great songs. ‘Chénfú’ (‘Ups and Downs’) contains some playful riffs, and the way the guitars and Ding Wu’s vocals interact creates some really cool tension. The long instrumental ‘Shuìlián’ (‘Water Lilies’) is the best example of Chinese folk hidden in distorted riffs, though the powerful mid-tempo stomper ‘Bānmǎxiàn’ (‘Zebra Crossing’) houses quite a few as well. The dramatic delivery of ‘Mílùdeyǎnlèi’ (‘Elk Tears’) is probably the closest thing to a traditional Tang Dynasty song here, while closing track ‘Yìxiāngkè · Lánchí’ (‘The Visitor · Mist Pond’) might be the album’s hidden gem. It’s easily the most progressive song on the album and constantly alternates between folky progrocker and surprisingly subdued ballad without losing its flow. Also, its guitar solo is incredible.

Anyone unfamiliar with Tang Dynasty’s work should probably start elsewhere, as ‘Mángcì’ does come across as a bit strange for the uninitiated. However, the album is much better than it often gets credit for. It is far better balanced than its direct predecessor ‘Knight of Romantic’, and the songwriting on ‘Mángcì’ challenges the listener without demanding too much to comprehend the songs. ‘Mángcì’ is one of the few instances of a band suddenly embracing a fairly vast collection of new influences without ending up sounding like a completely different band. This is clearly a Tang Dynasty album. And a good one at that.

Recommended tracks: ‘Mángcì’, ‘Yìxiāngkè · Lánchí’, ‘Chénfú’

Note: Unlike in my review on ‘Epic’, I have chosen to prioritize the pinyin transliterations rather than the English translations of the song titles, because none of the available translations are official.