REVIEW: Mantar - "The Spell" (EP)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 31/03/2017

Label: Nuclear Blast

Mantar’s strength lies in their ability to maintain a perfect balance of dirty, underground grit and catchy stadium-bothering rock’n’roll ambition. Opening track “PestCrusade” demonstrates this in style. It is a complex track composed of shifting tempos and styles, encompassing shards of raging black metal, stop/start riffage and blasts of no-nonsense stoner punk.  The three flawless tracks that make up “The Spell” demonstrate that Mantar’s unique brand of heaviness is growing ever more potent.

“The Spell” 10” LP//DD track listing:

1. Pest Crusade

2. Age Of The Vril

3. The Spell (feat. Okoi Jones / Bölzer)

The Review:

Hamburg power duo make a welcome return to action with new EP “The Spell”. Following hot on the heels of last year’s excellent “Ode To The Flame” LP, this release is a short sharp reminder of the band’s fierce doomed-out black metal mayhem.

Mantar’s strength lies in their ability to maintain a perfect balance of dirty, underground grit and catchy stadium-bothering rock’n’roll ambition. Opening track “Pest Crusade” demonstrates this in style. It is a complex track composed of shifting tempos and styles, encompassing shards of raging black metal, stop/start riffage and blasts of no-nonsense stoner punk. Somehow the band still manage to make this sound like a fist-pumping anthem which is no mean feat.

“Age Of The Vril” is more straightforward affair, lumbering doom verses giving way to epic choruses that erupt into a high-octane race to the finishing line. “The Spell” rounds things off with Mantar at their most basic, a two-chord rock’n’roll thrash that the band milk for maximum results. They are aided by guest vocals from Okoi Jones of Bolzer who aids an air of grandeur to the pause for breath before one last charge into the void.

The three flawless tracks that make up “The Spell” demonstrate that Mantar’s unique brand of heaviness is growing ever more potent. Hopefully they are back soon with a full length to deliver on the tantalising promise of this release.

“The Spell” is available here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

 



FFO: Tombs, Black Cobra, Graves At Sea, Mortals