Praying Mantis (band)

Praying Mantis
Praying Mantis live at Sweden Rock Festival 2010.
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal
Years active	1974–1985, 1990–2003, 2008present
Labels	Arista, Pony Canyon
Associated acts	Iron Maiden, Dennis Stratton, Lionheart, Clive Burr, Escape
Website	Official website
Members	Chris Troy Tino Troy Andy Burgess Hans in’t Zandt John Cuijpers

Praying Mantis are an English rock 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.

Their formation considerably pre-dated the NWOBHM movement. They were formed in 1974 by the Troy brothers, Tino and Chris, both college students. Like several NWOBHM bands they made their first available recording at Neal Kay's Soundhouse recording studio, which was released as the Soundhouse Tapes EP in 1979.

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 best-known work Time Tells No Lies in 1981. Management and line-up instability undermined their success and Arista dropped them. The following year they signed for Jet Records, but two subsequent singles flopped and the band folded. They had recorded a version of the Russ Ballard penned track "I Surrender", but ran into conflict with Rainbow, who went on to release their version, and had a Top 10 worldwide hit. Instead, Praying Mantis recorded another single, "Cheated". It reached No. 69 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1981.