Review by Michael on August 18, 2022.

“Nothing is as it used to be

Humanity was forced to leave Earth and give its fate

To the last rescue mission” 

What once sounded like some apocalyptic visions from some scientists like Stephen Hawking seem to become sooner the last chance for mankind to survive than anybody thought when you look at the desperate state our world is in these days. But of course Aquilla couldn't foresee how fast this may happen and made up a very interesting science-fiction story out of this topic which makes it really worth reading the lyrics. Also the cover artwork is a very dark, futuristic painting which reminds me a little bit of Dune. The booklet is designed in a 70s Buck Rogers- style (the characters) but the photos of Chris Scanner, Hippie Banzai, Blash Raven, Peter Slammer and Kriss Invader (where is Arthur Dent???) promise some cool 80s heavy metal stuff.

Our odyssey starts with a spoke intro where I stole my intro from. Thanks God it's not a boring epic Iron Maiden intro like the Brits did on their last album for about two CDs but the guys from Warsaw stark kicking ass with 'The Arrival'. Some punchy classic heavy metal guitar riffs let us settle home on our new planet and let us feel very comfortable there. Clearly you can hear some NWoBHM influences with the galloping guitars and the melodies but it sounds fresh and cool and have some similarities to the actual traditional Swedish metal scene. The vocals remind me a little bit of a slight deeper version of Joacim cans and fit pretty well into the setting. 'Pathfinder' is a song that rises its tension during the 5 minutes through some clever melody arrangements and breaks and the chorus is a really catchy one. 'Intersection' is another classic metal track with interesting hooks and some very cool guitar solos. The high-pitched screams combined with the regular vocals remind may be a little homage to King Diamond though the atmosphere of the songs isn't that dark as in compositions from our Danish legend. 'Saviors Of The Universe', the longest track on the album, shows as clearest on Mankind's Odyssey the bands Swedish influences – it starts with the riffs and ends with the vocal arrangements. But it's no copycat stuff and a very epic track to end the journey of the human race (okay, apart from the keyboard outro that follows). As bonus the band re-recorded their first single 'Zero' which they originally released in 2016 that deals with some Samurai stuff. It's a very nice idea to do so and shows that the songwriting skills since that time have grown. It's an okay song but I would prefer the newer stuff because of their finesse. Maybe a split with Japanese Significant Point would be a cool thing!

So is everything fine with the release? The semi-ballad 'Scarlet Skies' is a little bit too cheesy and predictable and the sonorous vocals sound much too over. This may be the weakest track on the album. Another song that doesn't convince to 100% is 'Rapt In Darkness'. Here the band tries to compose a little metal opera song with a lot of different vocal pitches and all this is a little bit too overloaded and hectic.

All in all Aquilla did a very good job with this album and if you are into classic British heavy metal and newer traditional metal bands like Ambush, Enforcer or HammerFall Mankind's Odyssey is something you will probably like. It seems that the guys invested a lot of passion into this album – starting with the booklet, the songwriting and ending with a very well-done and powerful production.

Rating: 8.7 out of 10 Twikis

Review by Felix on May 2, 2019.

Tom Angelripper, the German answer to Lemmy Kilmister (what's going on in heaven / hell?), is among the most charismatic persons in the Teutonic (thrash) metal scene. His specific "Ruhrpott charm" is based on both authenticity and persistence. Moreover, the "Lords of Depravity" DVDs have revealed that he is able to realize his small personal mistakes. Indeed, he is not perfect, but exactly the fact that he is aware of this situation makes him all the more likeable.

Masquerade in Blood is not perfect as well, but here we have the case that its deficiencies do not increase its popularity. In other words, here we have a really weak release of a band that seemed to be immune against expressionless mediocrity. Opened by the alarmingly faceless title track, the songs pass by without gripping riffs, catchy choruses or any other fascinating elements. Especially the riffs fail to convince. Sodom rather create a constant monotonous noise than songs that score with individual details. Without being extremely harsh, some tunes are totally free from melodies and so I am listening to a porridge of noise. Okay, "Fields of Honour" has a certain Motörhead flair, but it takes more than 16 minutes until the first memorable riff shows up. This is simply too long. And don't get me wrong: "Shadow of Damnation", the piece that presents us this pretty memorable riff, stands out on this album, but it cannot keep up with the real classics of the band, regardless of their date of publication.

The songs are stripped down to the essentials and generally speaking, I like this kind of compositions. Best regards to The Ramones (R.I.P.), AC/DC (partly R.I.P.) and comparable formations. But these songs are based on a very small number of ingredients. If the first riff fails, there is no second one to serve as compensation. Either the Teutonic musicians were not aware of this or they just lacked creativity. Well, we do not need to clarify this question, because the result is what really counts - and the one-dimensional guitar work drives the album into the ground. Not to mention the surprisingly blunt vocals. The intention to offer slightly punk-influenced numbers is okay, but this alone does not create a good album. Just realize the absence of any kind of dynamic here. Tempo changes are rare, and the choruses do not crown the songs. On a positive note, they are "well embedded", but honestly speaking, they get lost in the undifferentiated noise. "Unwanted Youth" marks a pleasant exception, but it remains an isolated case.

Sadly enough, the only song that really differentiates itself from the rest is the cover version at the end of the running order due to its lenient, mid-paced structure. Too bad that it delivers another, but no better form of sounds. Nevertheless, it brings the tedious album to an end and that's a value in itself. It is nearly depressing, but the averagely produced Masquerade in Blood conveys neither good music nor emotions and the artistic idea behind this output remains hidden. Come on, Mr. Angelripper stay authentic even if it hurts and admit that this masquerade marks the weakest link in your actually strong chain of releases.

Rating: 4.8 out of 10