The name of the band sounds like a villain from He-Man, and to be honest, the music wouldn’t be too far off as a suitable villainous soundtrack! We review the new album from black metallers Mantar.
[tracklist]
01. Carnal Rising
02. Praise The Plague
03. Era Borealis
04. The Hint
05. Born Reversed
06. Oz
07. I, Omen
08. Cross The Cross
09. Schwanenstein
10. Sundowning
[/tracklist]
[details]
[record_label]Nuclear Blast[/record_label]
[release_date]15th April 2016[/release_date]
[/details]
While some black metal fans are purists in terms of musical output, I am one that appreciates creative incarnations of the genre. Clearly Mantar have been met with approval from the legion of pedantic metal fans as their debut ‘Death by Burning‘ with their unique style of black metal. Much so that it has earned them enough support to garner a lucrative record deal with Nuclear Blast Records. So let’s get stuck into ‘Ode to the Flame‘.
It’s the first track of ‘Carnal Rising‘ that really brings you to appreciate Mantar. It’s a slow, yet extremely well-produced build up to the black ‘n’ roll style the German duo have adopted. It’s reminiscent of an experimental Satyricon, but without the raised eyebrows.
It’s when the track ‘Era Borealis‘ hits the stereo when you begin to realise that Mantar know exactly what they are doing, and it’s absolute mastery. The seamless thread of rock ‘n’ roll chord progressions and augmented black metal works to an extremely expressive level – it’s simplistic writing, but extremely well-constructed.
Mantar presents an interesting concept when it comes to black metal – some would argue that it is and some that it isn’t. The fact of the matter is that both arguments are correct, as the band introduce that ideal wrapped in a musical clash of brutal Nordic screams and greasy rock ‘n’ roll.
‘Ode to the Flame‘ is one album in 2016 that I believe everyone should try. It embodies an effortless spirit of rebellion and pure artistic output – something not often seen in modern metal music. It’s villainous music that is strangely addictive, and it’s a new wave of very dark party metal.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]It’s one of those albums that has been made for the pure love of the art and expression. It’s a no BS black ‘n’ roll album from start to finish, and despite it’s dark dances on the genre borderline, it’s a great listen.[/why]
