Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression
Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression
Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 14/02/2025
Review by Rory Bentley
7.5 /10
Alright ya shits, who’s ready for dirty rock n’ roll filth from dynamic Deutch duo Mantar? Cos I fucking am! I reviewed the excellent “Pain Is Forever and This Is the End” back in 2022 and I had a great time throwing shapes to the likes of ‘Grim Reapin’’ and ‘Walking Corpse’. Despite still being greasier and grimier than swamp thing’s ball sack, the album was the most meticulously composed, polished sounding word that the band had put their name to. The songs were precision-engineered for maximum catchiness and impact- which reflected in the record’s impressive chart positions. Despite this significant artistic and commercial success, however, the construction of the album took its toll on the band’s mental health and personal relationships. As such “Post Apocalyptic Depression” is a back-to-basics approach, where riffs and vibes grab the wheel from thought and form.
The first thing I noticed when slamming this thing on was the comparative rawness of the production compared to the last offering. It’s a lot murkier and more lo-fi, like the band have tied you to a chair and have positioned the amp right in your face with the volume cranked up to ridiculous as riffs and drum hits crackle and peak on the swaggering ‘Rex Perverso’, which has a chorus worthy of the last album’s fist-pumping grandeur. It is not as raw and feral as the band’s earlier work but will certainly be a welcome change for those not as enamoured by the polish of the band’s latter material.
The riffs and hooks are still strong enough to slice through the mucky sonics, with the bluesy, raucous ‘Dogma Down’ mixing Darkthrone-esque minimalism with the power-pop/alt rock influences they have previously explored. Meanwhile ‘Morbid Vocation’ still has that discordant Black Metal element, as dissonant notes pepper low-slung, menacing riffs and a bellowed chorus that will go off when the band hits the stage.
Despite being immediately pleasing to my ears, though, I have to say it took a few more listens this time round for the record to truly click with me. For all the merits of producing something less slick and digestible and more spontaneous, I do think the songwriting is not quite up to the level of “Pain Is Forever…” Whereas literally everything hit immediately on that record, the likes of ‘Halsegicht’ and ‘Face of Torture’ took a little longer to hit the spot for me. Though perfectly enjoyable rockers, they didn’t wet my whistle as effortlessly as the brooding, Doom-like ‘Cosmic Abortion’ for example. Nothing on here sucks, but there is a larger disparity between the highlights and the less impactful tracks that weren’t there on the last outing.
Despite these quibbles, I am happy to report that “Post Apocalyptic Depression” is still a rollocking blend of Black n Roll and raw Punk energy that still gives you that kinetic buzz that only great, straight ahead Rock bands are capable of.
Mantar – Cosmic Abortion
TRACKLISTING:
01. Absolute Ghost
02. Rex Perverso
03. Principle of Command
04. Dogma Down
05. Morbid Vocation
06. Halsgericht
07. Pit of Guilt
08. Church of Suck
09. Two Choices of Eternity
10. Face of Torture
11. Axe Death Scenario
12. Cosmic Abortion
LINKS:
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