Time Tells No Lies

Time Tells No Lies
Studio album by Praying Mantis
Released	3 April 1981
Studio	Battery Studios, London
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	39:04
Label	Arista
Producer	Tim Friese-Greene
Praying Mantis studio album chronology
Time Tells No Lies (1981) Predator in Disguise (1991)
Singles from Time Tells No Lies
"Cheated" Released: January 1981 [1] "All Day and All of the Night" Released: March 1981 [2]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Sputnikmusic	4/5 [4]

Time Tells No Lies is the debut album by English rock band Praying Mantis, released on 3 April 1981. ^[5]

Release

Time Tells No Lies was released in 1981 after the band signed a worldwide deal with Arista Records following the Reading Rock '80 festival. Some copies came with a one sided A4 merchandise insert. It peaked at number 60 on the UK Albums Chart in April 1981 where it stayed for two weeks, while Cheated, the lead single peaked at number 69 on the UK Singles Charts. ^[6]

Artwork

The original cover is by Rodney Matthews.

Reception and legacy

Jack Butler-Terry of Metal Hammer said the album was "an absolute gem." ^[7]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead Vocals	Length
1.	"Cheated"	Steve Carroll, Tino Troy	Carroll	3:53
2.	"All Day and All of the Night" (The Kinks cover)	Ray Davies	T. Troy	2:58
3.	"Running for Tomorrow"	Dave Potts, T. Troy, Chris Troy, Carroll	Carroll	3:41
4.	"Rich City Kids"	T. Troy, C. Troy	T. Troy	3:48
5.	"Lovers to the Grave"	C. Troy, T. Troy	C. Troy	4:52

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead Vocals	Length
6.	"Panic in the Streets"	T. Troy, Potts, Sandra Vermeulen	T. Troy	3:43
7.	"Beads of Ebony"	T. Troy	C. Troy	5:28
8.	"Flirting With Suicide"	T. Troy, C. Troy, Carroll, Potts	T. Troy	5:04
9.	"Children of the Earth"	T. Troy, C. Troy	C. Troy	5:37
Total length:				39:04

Personnel

Praying Mantis

• Tino Troy – guitars, vocals
• Steve Carroll – guitars, vocals
• Chris Troy – bass guitar, vocals
• Dave Potts – drums, all percussion

Production

• Tim Friese-Greene – production, piano on "Rich City Kids"
• Mike Shipley – engineering
• Freddy Silva – photography
• Ben Challis – business affairs

Charts

Chart (1981)	Peak position
UK Albums (OCC) [8]	60

References

1. "Praying Mantis singles".
2. "Praying Mantis singles".
3. Rivadavia, Eduardo. Praying Mantis – Time Tells No Lies at AllMusic. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
4. John, Dr (18 June 2014). "Praying Mantis – Time Tells No Lies". Sputnikmusic . Retrieved 30 November 2019.
5. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 25.
6. "Time Tells No Lies Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 9 December 2021.
7. Butler-Terrypublished, Jack (31 January 2024). "10 obscure but amazing New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands that should have been far, far bigger". Louder. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
8. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2024.