Umphrey's McGee website 

A mantis is an insect with an exceptional range of vision.

"Mantis" is the Greek word for prophet.

And Mantis is the epic new album by Midwestern monsters of improvised rock, Umphrey's McGee. Consisting of Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Jake Cinninger (guitar, synthesizers, vocals), Joel Cummins (keyboards, vocals), Andy Farag (percussion), Kris Myers (drums, vocals), and Ryan Stasik (bass), Umphrey's McGee enters its second decade together with their most progressive, melodic and artistically cohesive album to date.

And that date is Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, when Mantis casts another Windy City family into the limelight.

A long-time-coming labor of love as well as an inspiring affirmation of musical brotherhood, Mantis is Umphrey's first fully fleshed-out studio statement since 2006's Safety in Numbers, which was followed by 2007's odds-and-sods collection The Bottom Half and the double live album Live at Murat. So when Brendan Bayliss sings, "We believe there's something here worth dying for," to kick off Mantis's majestic twelve-minute title track, you should take him at his word.

Mantis is the first Umphrey's album to consist entirely of material never previously performed on the road, where the band rules the improv-rock circuit and plays more than 100 shows each year. Although the band already plays numerous songs they have yet to record, sometimes you just have to hold back in order to deliver a bigger bang. Mystique, thy name is Mantis. Read more...

Umphrey's McGee - Amazing Grace /Glory - 12/31/2008 from Umphrey's McGee on Vimeo.