In the few years they were around Manraze, the band formed by Phil Collen, Simon Laffy and Paul Cook, certainly made an impression; garnering commercial and critical acclaim for their high energy blend of punk and rock. Cherry Red Records have trawled through the archives and put everything together in this 5 disc set. So you get Surreal and PunkFunkRootsRock, the two studio albums from 2008 and 2011, along with a disc of instrumental versions, another featuring the band live and unplugged and a final disc that offers unreleased tracks and remixes. It also features new liner notes from Classic Rock journalist and Prog magazine editor, Jerry Ewing, based on recent interviews with the band.

Collen and Laffy had previously been bandmates in early 80’s rockers Girl, a band that for some reason never quite made the breakthrough they deserved. Adding veteran Pistols drummer Cook into the mix resulted in a thunderous trio that blended together elements of their previous work and gave it an eclectic twist. The breakneck pace of ‘This Is’ and ‘Turn it Up’ opened Surreal, and set the blueprint for what Manraze were all about, hard rocking power punk with no shortage of attitude. Elsewhere, there was more than a hint of reggae and roots influences on ‘Runnin’ Me Up’ and ‘Can’t Find My Own Way’, and the mid-paced “Every Second of Every Day” hearkened back to late-Eighties stadium rock. Overall, this was a solid debut album.

PunkFunkRootsRock followed a few years later, the title summing up the bands mix of styles, and was another effort that was best enjoyed at maximum volume. Not many artists can successfully pull off a cover of Hendrix but the version of ‘Fire’ included here is an absolute gem. Amongst the original songs, ‘Closer to Me’ was another reggae infused number that, back in the time when the singles chart mattered, could well have given the band a breakthrough hit. The revved up ‘I, Superbiker’ featured some inspired shredding from Collen and ‘All I Wanna Do’ and ‘Bittersweet’ are catchy pop rockers that offered a nice change of pace.

Of the three additional discs then if the instrumentals can be considered somewhat superfluous, the live and unplugged set more than makes up for it. This showcases Manraze in all their glory on stage, including ‘This Is’, ‘Halo’ and ‘Fire’ along with some acoustic numbers that highlight an alternative side to the band. The final disc wraps up the odds and ends with some interesting dance remixes of ‘Low’ and ‘Get Up’ amongst others.

It was very much a case of blink and you missed them with Manraze, and this is a tidy box set that showcases what they were all about. A reunion might seem unlikely given the heavy commitments of Cook and Collen, but as we are all too aware in the world of rock n’ roll, you can never be 100 per cent certain. One thing is for sure, for the short time they existed they more than left their mark. Release Date is 29 May 2026. 

DISC ONE
Surreal
1 This Is
2 Turn It Up
3 Runnin’ Me Up
4 Every Second of Every Day
5 Spinning Out
6 Can’t Find My Own Way
7 Skin Crawl
8 Low
9 Connected To You
10 Halo
11 It’s Entertainment
12 Shadow Man

DISC TWO
PunkFunkRootsRock
1 Over My Dead Body
2 I C U In Everything
3 All I Wanna Do
4 Closer To Me
5 Lies Lies All Lies
6 Get Action
7 Edge Of the World
8 Dreamland
9 Fire
10 I, Superbiker
11 Bittersweet
12 Dog Bite

DISC THREE
Instrumental
1 Turn It Up – Surreal – Instrumental
2 I Surrender – Single – Instrumental
3 Skin Crawl – Surreal – Instrumental
4 Original Sin – Exclusive Bonus Track – Instrumental
5 Can’t Find My Own Way – Surreal – Instrumental
6 Low – Surreal – Instrumental
7 Runnin’ Me Up – Surreal – Instrumental
8 Dreamland – PunkFunkRootsRock – Instrumental
9 Halo – Surreal – Instrumental
10 I C U In Everything – PunkFunkRootsRock – Instrumental
11 Bittersweet – PunkFunkRootsRock – Instrumental

DISC FOUR
Live & Unplugged
1 This Is – Electric (Live in Burbank)
2 Low – Electric (Live in Burbank)
3 Entertainment – Electric (Live in Burbank)
4 Connected – Electric (Live in Burbank)
5 This Is – Electric (Live at the Water Rats)
6 Connected – Electric (Live at the Water Rats)
7 Halo – Electric (Live at the Spitz)
8 Runnin’ Me Up – Electric (Live at the Spitz)
9 Fire – Electric (Live at the Spitz)
10 Every Second of Every Day – Acoustic
11 Turn It Up – Acoustic
12 Can’t Find My Own Way – Acoustic (Gary Crowley Show)
13 Halo – Acoustic
14 You’re So Wrong – Acoustic
15 All I Wanna Do – Acoustic

DISC FIVE
Unreleased & Unleashed
1 I Surrender
2 Take On the World – PunkFunkRootsRock – Instrumental
3 Turn It Up – Deep Dub Instrumental
4 Halo – SPX Crawlers Mix
5 Immaculate
6 Skin Crawl – SPX Crawlers Mix
7 Low – Dance
8 Get Up – Dance
9 Original Sin