Praying Mantis (band)

Praying Mantis are an English heavy metal band. Although a part of the new wave of British heavy metal scene, they pursued a musical direction more melodic and AOR-sounding than their contemporaries Iron Maiden and Saxon.

1973-1981: Formation and early years
Their formation considerably pre-dated the NWOBHM movement. They were formed in 1973 while at college by the Troy brothers, Tino and Chris, Pete Moore and Chris Hudson. The band's genesis can be traced back to the influence of Neal Kay, a DJ at North London's premier hard rock disco, The Bandwagon. Thanks to Kay's support, Praying Mantis gained a platform to showcase their music, featuring tracks like 'Captured City' and 'Lovers to the Grave.' Alongside contemporaries such as Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, and Samson, Praying Mantis quickly rose to prominence in the London music scene. 1980 saw their profile considerably raised with support slots for Iron Maiden and Ronnie Montrose's Gamma and "Captured City" was included on the Metal for Muthas compilation. The attention won them a recording contract with Arista Records and they released their highly regarded work Time Tells No Lies in 1981. Management instability undermined their success and Arista decided that they did not wish to take up the option of a further album. The following year they signed for Jet Records, but two subsequent singles did not quite hit the mark and the band folded. During the making of Time Tells No Lies Praying Mantis recorded a version of the Russ Ballard penned track "I Surrender", but ran into conflict with Rainbow, who went on to release their own version, and had a Top 10 worldwide hit. Instead, Praying Mantis released "Cheated" which reached No.69 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1981.

1982-1989: Hiatus
While Praying Mantis was on hiatus, the Troy brothers focused on other projects. Stratus (originally "Clive Burr's Escape", then briefly known as "Tygon" and "Stratas"), was a short-lived English melodic hard rock supergroup. It was formed by ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, the Troy brothers plus ex-Grand Prix vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboardist Alan Nelson. The band split after only one album, Throwing Shapes, released in 1985. Bernie Shaw became the lead vocalist for Uriah Heep the following year.

1990-1996 Reunion and line-ups including Di'Anno, Stratton and Burr
The band maintained a strong fan base in Japan, and when the Troys temporarily reformed Praying Mantis for a NWOBHM nostalgia tour in 1990, they were encouraged by the response to resurrect the band full-time. A live album with former Iron Maiden members Dennis Stratton and Paul Di'Anno, on guitar and vocals respectively, was released as Live at Last, and a follow-up studio album Predator in Disguise was released the following year. In 1995 the band recruited ex-Michael Schenker Group vocalist Gary Barden and released the 'To The Power Of Ten' album in Japan during August. As drummer Bruce Bisland suffered a broken arm he had his position filled by former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr.

1997-2006: Final years with Dennis Stratton
Praying Mantis, with Dennis Stratton as part of their lineup, continued to evolve musically, adapting to the changing rock music landscape. This period saw the band exploring new musical avenues while maintaining their core melodic hard rock identity. Since 1990, Dennis, Chris and Tino were the nucleus of the band who wrote all the material. Stratton officially left Praying Mantis in 2006, although his final recorded material with them was in 2003.

2007-2012: Sanctuary and Metalmorphosis 30th Anniversary EP
Andy Burgess officially joined Praying Mantis in 2007, taking on the role of guitarist. One of Andy Burgess's most notable contributions to Praying Mantis was his role in the band's renowned dual guitar harmonies. These harmonies had long been a signature element of Praying Mantis' sound, and Burgess embraced this tradition while infusing it with his unique touch. In 2011, the Metalmorphosis 30th Anniversary EP was released. The album includes 10 re-recorded classic Praying Mantis tracks by the 2011 band line-up.

2013-2014: Hans In' Zandt and John Cuijpers joins the band
In 2013, the band announced they are to release a new single in October that year. The single is to officially introduce new members, John Cuijpers (vocals) and Hans in't Zandt (drums) to the band's fanbase after playing Colchester, Ipswich (with support from MGR Records band Kaine) and Cambridge Rock Festival with the brand new line-up. Zandt had previously toured with notable acts such as Toto, Jeff Scott Soto, Mad Max, Sinner, and Vengeance. Cuijpers was associated with several notable bands and musical projects; his prominent prior affiliation was with the Dutch rock band Vandenberg's MoonKings.

2015-present: Legacy, Gravity and Katharsis
Released in 2015, Legacy marked a formalization of the band's new lineup, featuring John Cuijpers on vocals and Hans In't Zandt on drums, alongside longstanding members Andy Burgess, Tino Troy and Chris Troy. The same lineup would go on and record Gravity (2018) and Katharsis (2022).

Discography
Studio albums
 * Time Tells No Lies (1981)
 * Predator in Disguise (1991)
 * A Cry for the New World (1993)
 * To the Power of Ten (1995)
 * Forever in Time (1998)
 * Nowhere to Hide (2000)
 * The Journey Goes On (2003)
 * Sanctuary (2009)
 * Metalmorphosis - 30th Anniversary Album (2011)
 * Legacy (2015)
 * Gravity (2018)
 * Katharsis (2022)
 * Defiance (2024)

Live albums
 * Live at Last (1990)
 * Captured Alive in Tokyo City (1996)
 * Keep It Alive! (2019)

Compilations
 * Demorabilia (1999)
 * The Best of Praying Mantis (2004)
 * Metalmorphosis - 30th Anniversary EP (2011)

Band members
Current members
 * Tino Troy – rhythm and lead guitar, keyboards, backing and lead vocals (1973–1981, 1990-)
 * Chris Troy – bass, backing vocals (1973–1981, 1990-)
 * Andy Burgess – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2007–)
 * John Cuijpers – lead vocals (2013–)
 * Hans in't Zandt – drums, percussion (2013–)

Former members
 * Bob Sawyer – lead and rhythm guitar (1979-1980)
 * Dave Potts – drums, percussion (1979–1982)
 * Steve Carroll – lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar (1980–1982)
 * Jon Bavin – keyboards (1982)
 * Dennis Stratton – lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals (1990-2006)
 * Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals (1990)
 * Bruce Bisland – drums, percussion (1990-1996, 1997-2002)
 * Doogie White – lead vocals (1992)
 * Colin Peel – lead vocals (1993, 2002)
 * Gary Barden - lead vocals (1995-1997)
 * Clive Burr – drums, percussion (1996)
 * Tony O'Hora – lead vocals (1997-2002)
 * Mike Freeland – lead vocals (2007-2012)
 * Benji Reid – drums, percussion (2007-2012)