Review ELLIS MANO BAND “Morph”

When I received the new album from the Ellis Mano Band, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t heard of the band before and was more curious to find out what kind of music would make my eardrums vibrate. What I heard was a surprise, a positive one.

The Ellis Mano Band actually hail from Switzerland, although you wouldn’t know it from their blues-drenched rock music.

It was Chris Ellis and Edis Mano, both with a rich musical background, who founded the band in 2017 and premiered with “Here and Now” in 2019. The debut, as well as the following releases, have been quite successful in their home country and with “Morph” the next album is in the starting blocks to continue this streak of success.

“Morph” contains eleven songs and one of them is “For All I Care”. Some fans may be familiar with this song as the band played it when supporting the legendary Deep Purple in July 2024. A change of pace and a strong classic rock spirit drive this song, which is one of the highlights of the album. The quiet and very emotional beginning of the tune turns into a pulsating classic rock song with a Hammond organ part that inhales the sound of the 70s. After such an outburst, the song calms down again with almost fragile vocals before taking the listener to the next rocking peak.

The opener of the album is called “Virtually Love” and reminds me of The Boss. There is a bit of Bruce Springsteen inspiration woven into the first song on the album, echoing the rock sound of the 80s. Lyrically, the band tells the story of affection for an AI-created character, showing that the band reflects modern times while being musically rooted a few decades back in time.

“Scars” is a melancholic blues song that displays the full emotional impact of the genre. Worth listening to is “Count on Me”, which has a certain David Bowie timbre embedded in it. Rock’n’roll is the basis for “Madness and Tears”, dedicated to a friend of Chris Elis who passed away too early.

The cool thing about “Morph” is that the quality is consistently high. “State of Grace” is the last track on the album (it is followed by “The Fight For Peace”, a live song) and it is another nuance of rock music that the band brings to the table. Again rooted in 70’s rock, the song is a bit more layered than some of the other tracks and has a bit of a proggy vibe that echoes with every note on this finale.

“Morph” is a very well crafted album that brings the vibe of the 70’s into the modern day. Loaded with emotion and musical expertise, each of the songs develop their own charm. This album is a fascinating journey through the world of blues-inspired rock that covers many nuances while maintaining a common approach to music. It is a musical kaleidoscope that provides a great counterpoint to the hectic pace of everyday life.