| Manifesto | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Deadlock |
| Cover: | Manifesto (Deadlock album).jpg |
| Released: | 17 November 2008 (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan) 20 January 2009 (United States) |
| Genre: | Melodic death metal, experimental metal |
| Length: | 52:48 |
| Language: | English |
| Label: | Lifeforce Records |
| Producer: | Sebastian Reichl |
| Chronology: | Deadlock |
| Prev Title: | Wolves |
| Prev Year: | 2007 |
| Next Title: | Bizarro World |
| Next Year: | 2011 |
Manifesto is the fourth full-length studio album by German melodic death metal band Deadlock. It was released by Lifeforce Records on 17 November 2008 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Japan, and on 20 January 2009 in the United States. A box set limited to 1000 copies with two bonus tracks and several items was released as well.[1]
Manifesto is a concept album about animal rights and veganism.[2] [3] Musically, the album marked a change to a more experimental style by the band, incorporating sections of techno, rap, saxophone and orchestral arrangements into its melodic death metal style.
The track, "The Brave/Agony Applause", is the first single off the album and has a music video.[1] The song "Seal Slayer" is a slight reinterpretation of the track "Kill, Kill, Kill", which the band previously recorded as a benefit for "The Canadians", an organization against Canadian seal hunting, through a request by PETA.[4]
Manifesto was promoted by playing one new song off the album each day on their MySpace until its European release.[1] It is Deadlock's last release to feature longtime band member Thomas Huschka on bass.
Manifesto received polarized reviews from music critics. While some had unfavorably critiqued its highly experimental approach,[2] others praised its departure from the melodic death metal style which was prominent during the mid-2000s. Thorsten Zahn of Metal Hammer stood out the band's "uncompromising work" and went on to say that "Manifesto is undoubtedly the best melodic death metal album by a German band." Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic was not as enthusiastic however, stating that despite its "oftentimes brave and unquestionably well-intentioned efforts", the diverse influences "feel too forced and scattered [...] to shake up those tired metalcore formulas".