Arriving in the aftermath of Brit-pop, Mansun was one of the first British guitar bands to depart from the prevailing styles of the mid-'90s, leaving both light, Beatlesque pop and studied trad-rock behind. Mansun had more in common with early-'90s bands like Suede and the Manic Street Preachers, groups that stood defiantly outside of the pop spotlight, yet managed to cultivate a devoted fan base. By combining a dark, grandiose vision with the driving intensity of hard rock and the stylish swagger of New Romanticism, Mansun didn't sound a thing like their contemporaries. While their first singles earned a devoted audience, the British music press didn't focus heavily on the group, so it came as a surprise when their debut album, Attack of the Grey Lantern, debuted at number one in early 1997, knocking the long-awaited Blur comeback off the top of the charts. But by that time, Mansun had been hailed as one of the best new bands of the year, and the record was praised throughout the U.K. music press, making the group one of the most respected and popular new British groups of 1997.