‘Death by Burning’, ‘Ode to the Flame’, ‘The Modern Art of Setting Ablaze’ – it would appear Germany’s newest power duo, MANTAR, are pyromaniacs; however, if an obsession with fire is what helps them to keep releasing such enormous sounding albums then keep the fire blazing! ‘The Modern Art…’ is the band’s third full length and, despite their protests that they aren’t a sludge band, this is another opus entrenched in hardcore with enormous doom-laden riffs, so you’d be forgiven for disagreeing with them. Whatever their genre, it hasn’t hindered their success or stopped them from working and touring with some of metal’s most prolific names, including the likes of Bölzer and Skeletonwitch.

Their latest effort doesn’t deviate too far from the sound they have cultivated with their previous two records, following the same blueprint of black metal-tinged punk riffs, angry vocals and uncomplicated yet groove filled percussion. Hanno (guitars, vocals) and Erinc (drums) make a racket that would make most five-piece bands envious and songs such as ‘Age of the Absurd’ and ‘Taurus’ are satisfyingly heavy while showcasing the pairing’s obvious talent for writing a catchy tune. This record would have faired slightly better from having the fat trimmed from it – with this particular aggressive style of music, play duration sits best at around the 30-40 minute mark; ‘The Modern Art…’ has a playtime of 50 minutes, which can make it feel like hard work to listen to. Thankfully, each song is interesting enough to prevent the album from becoming boring.

As Hanno and Erinc become more seasoned in their abilities the tools they have access to have become ever greater. Their newest opus is definitely more polished than their debut, however, it was the rough around the edges, DIY sound of ‘Death by Burning’ that made MANTAR so appealing. The production quality makes the music feel stifled – the band still sound ferocious, but it’s as though they’ve been put on a shorter leash. Similarly, the playtime means that it doesn’t possess the infectious quality of songs such as ‘Era Borealis’ on previous album ‘Ode to the Flame’. This is a brilliant album, but in MANTAR’s climb to the top it’s important for them to remember the roots that placed them there in the first place.

(7.5/10 Angela Davey)

https://www.facebook.com/MantarBand

https://mantar.bandcamp.com/album/the-modern-art-of-setting-ablaze