Review Summary: It's never gonna feel like the first time, but that's okay.
Alien Ant Farm's career is full of misplaced expectations. Attaining mainstream popularity at about the same time as a lot of nu metal bands, the Riverside band was lumped in with them despite barely having the same kind of sound - simply on the merits of having the bass sit high in the mix, I guess. And surely enough, they were soon dismissed by some nu metal fans for not being heavy or edgy enough, so while the band did secure a small devoted following thanks to great songwriting and high-quality live shows, they definitely fell victim to poor marketing.
The musicians didn't seem to mind though - while technically a one-hit wonder, they did get a decent number of mildly popular singles and clearly enjoyed being exactly who they were, which to me would be post hardcore gone pop - slightly heavier and more angular than typical alternative rock of the early 00's, but still accessible and headbang-worthy to a casual MTV watcher. As time went on, however, they tried leaning into the "pop" part more and more with songs like "Glow", which featured an acoustic guitar and handclaps, or "Tia Lupe", a straight-up Latin number. The trend continued into their third major-label release Up In The Attic, this one essentially half-filled with pop rock, and to be honest, this direction wasn't the worst one for the band, especially once I got over my own misplaced expectations. However, this one did give me a nagging feeling that Alien Ant Farm were drifting a bit too far from their original identity and could easily lose what made them special if they did not correct their course soon.
It eventually came to a head with 2015's Always And Forever, an album I can only describe as "harmless" - at least to the listener, because it was the band's last release with bassist Tye Zamora, not only a very skilled musician, but a very important part of their sound overall. On top of the fact that AAF themselves seemingly disliked the album enough to sweep it under the carpet some years later by removing it from all streaming services, this could have been the end of a great band. And yet Alien Ant Farm refused to go out on a low note.
I hardly had any high hopes for mANTras. The suspiciously long time gap, the return to the corny naming gimmick, another 80's pop song cover as one of the singles - the whole thing reeked of nostalgia baiting, and the final opinions of many reviewers were surely colored by the clumsy setup. But hey, remember that part about misplaced expectations?
One thing that remains a constant is that mANTras is just as infused with pop sensibilities as all of its predecessors. However, this album takes a slight departure from the lighter, pop-punkish tone and to a certain extent brings back the heavier side of the band. The first track, "The Wrong Things", starts up like a real anthem, with swelling chords backed by muted notes, before the verse gives us some build-up with reggae upstrokes and Dryden Mitchell's vocals, which, I must add, have not aged a day since the band's prime. The chorus then comes rolling in with a simple, but satisfying riff on top of a double-time beat, wrapping up the main part of the song in a neat little package.
If what I said sounds really basic, it's because on the surface it really is, but Alien Ant Farm is the kind of band that takes simple ideas and makes them work by adding small details that give each song that special AAF flavor, which, essentially, is what good pop writing is all about. The guitar uses quite a lot of delay and chorus thoughout the entire album, adding a "spacey" feel to the quieter parts and allowing the vocals to float on top of it. The drummer throws in some accents and fills now then to liven things up. These are all little touches, but they add up to the impression that actual effort and passion went into the album. The entire thing feels grand and hopeful in the best way possible, with the slick, but not overdone production contributing to the feeling.
The new bassist, while no Tye Zamora, is perfectly competent at what he does, and Tye's departure gives some room for guitarist Terry Corso to show off. Some of the songs, like "Prosperous Futures", feature subtly layered guitars, with wailing notes providing a background for powerful riffs and tiny murky melodies that I even heard someone compare to modern Deftones, and I can't help but agree. The modest lead part in "Glasses" is very well-placed and soulful, and "So Cold", which is already the most "metal" track of the album, eventually launches into a full-blown solo, allowing Terry to really show off his chops.
Still, the meat of the album is, of course, the ever so catchy hooks, and fans of the band's earlier material will be delighted to hear "Fade", which easily could have been a song off ANThology, as well as "Last dAntz", which, despite the simple four-on-the-floor beat, is at least a head taller than your typical radio rock by the virtue of Dryden's inventively syncopated verses and a bridge that goes off the rails in uncommon time before bringing it back to the danceable hook. On the softer side of things, we have "What Am I Doing", a track that I did not expect to get into, what's with it being a light reggae rock number, but once again, the little melodies and muted strings strategically thrown in at various points make it way more interesting that it should have been, even if it's one of the more boring songs in terms of drumming. The aforementioned "Glasses" is also a great deep cut, a 3/4 acoustic ballad that sounds tailor-made for a calm summer day, down to its lyrics about optimism. Perhaps the only time the album gets a little awkward in the hook department is the mid-tempo "No. 1", which just isn't as exciting or memorable as the other tracks.
Overall, listening to mANTras drove me to realize that Alien Ant Farm as the fans know and love them never really left. Unlike many other musicians, they decided to skip the phase where a band tries to "mature" and just ends up sounding uninspired, instead sticking to their guns and doing what they've always done best, but with more experience and polish. Their commitment to the winning formula is reflected perfectly in the closing track of the album - not mAntras, since that's just a glorified outro, but the very same cover single I mentioned before and that I eventually warmed up to big time. Risking to anger some Wham! fans out there, I'll say that I like this version of "Everything She Wants" better than the original - it's simply more energetic and fun, and Dryden once again shines on the track, with his vocals clearly inspired by that very era of music.
So, at the end of the day, is mANTras on the same level as the beloved ANThology? Perhaps not, but I found myself listening to it again and again, as much as the older stuff, and grew to appreciate it in a much shorter time than expected. One way or another, I'm feeling optimistic about Alien Ant Farm's possible future, with the band clearly still having fun making music and caring about the quality of the new material. This album may not appeal to everyone, and some may even call it a time capsule of the bygone radio rock era more than anything else, but it's a fun listen that has a personality and sound of its own, which is really all I can ask for. Give it a try, and may your expectations not be misplaced.
