Hamburg Germany’s Mantar claim that their blend of extreme metal is an amalgam of black metal, doom and punk. And without a doubt there are glimpses of the three on their latest LP, Ode to the Flame (Nuclear Blast). So does Ode live up to Mantar’s “kill, destroy, fuck shit up” mantra?
Short answer is I guess. The music on display on Ode to the Flame is a simulacrum of what bands like Anaal Nathrakh and Kvelertak have already finely honed. ‘Era Borealis’ and ‘The Hint’ are supposed to be doomy in nature but they don’t have the solid riffs needed construct memorable songs. The punk bits lack speed or sneer. And as far as the black metal quotient only ‘Schwanenstein’ feels authentic with its short spurt of blastbeats and (albeit melodramatic) keyboard outro.
With nothing really designed on the initial 17 minutes to keep you awake (more on that later), the listener has ample time to realize how monochrome Mantar’s sound really is. And I concede that it’s a fairly spartan act with Hanno Klänhardt handling guitars and vocals and Erinc Sakarya on the drums. That said, there is no excuse for Sakarya’s flat style. His contributions on ‘Born Reversed’ and ‘Carnal Rising’ can be distilled to just keeping time. Plus not having much in the way of atmospherics or a rhythm section expose Klanhardt’s lack of vocal range.
While Ode to the Flame is habitually rote for most of its duration, there are some positive (and frustrating) breakthroughs. ‘Oz’ and ‘Born Reversed’ have proper stoner/sludge riffs and swagger to warrant a good song. ‘I, Omen’ pisses in the wind musically for about a minute and a half before settling on a meaty groove.
Mantar aren’t quite the metal wrecking crew I expected, but certain fans will find enjoyment in their limited, but loud aesthetic.
5.0/10
HANSEL LOPEZ
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