Praying Mantis (GB)
From London
Popularity
Praying Mantis has one upcoming show in the Netherlands: on November 15, 2026 at Little Devil, Tilburg.
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About
Praying Mantis have been flying the flag for melodic hard rock since the early days of the NWOBHM, though they always sat slightly apart from the pack. Where Iron Maiden and Saxon leaned into pure metal aggression, the Troy brothers, Tino and Chris, pushed the band toward lush harmonies and an AOR sensibility that gave them a distinctive, polished edge. Their 1981 debut Time Tells No Lies on Arista Records is a cornerstone of the genre, and they famously recorded a version of "I Surrender" before Rainbow swooped in and took it to the top ten worldwide. After a 1980s hiatus, a loyal Japanese fanbase helped pull them back together, and they have been remarkably active ever since, cycling through a string of notable vocalists and collaborators including ex Iron Maiden members Paul Di'Anno and Dennis Stratton. The current lineup, locked in since around 2013 with Dutch vocalist John Cuijpers and drummer Hans in't Zandt, has delivered a run of consistent albums: Legacy, Gravity, Katharsis, and most recently Defiance in 2024.
