By: Jay Broderick - Mantar is a German metal band that was formed n 2012 by founding members Erinc Sakarya on Drums and Hanno Klänhardt on Guitars & Vocals. The band gained some notoriety in their native country with their Top 10 release The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze hitting #7, and the follow-up Pain Is Forever And This Is The End in 2022 hitting #2.
The 2022 release was the first for the band on Metal Blade Records, after the independent label added the band to their already legendary, historical roster of metal bands.
On August 10, 2023, Mantar released a music video for their brand new single "Valhalla Hammering". The track is one that never quite fit the band's most recent album's feel, so it was ended up on the cutting room floor.
The song's slow, pounding intro starts as an homage to the band's beginnings. The intensity builds just after the 1 minute mark with a brooding guitar riff, and a drum beat that picks up the tempo. At the 1:40 mark, Klänhardt's gravelly vocals pierce through, and I immediately find myself nodding my head and feeling the heavy groove. The intensity continues to build until the halfway point when the beat drops back to the slow heavy brooding experienced early on.
At approximately the 5:15 mark of this close to 7 minute gem, a fluttering flute is highlighted in a solo, giving a fantastical texture that can't possibly belong here, until you hear it. And it's perfect! What a cool, unexpected piece of brilliance.
This newest offering from Mantar is a bit of a slow burn at the beginning, but still immediately piques your interest. Once the beat and the rhythm kick in, you're hooked, and you ain't going anywhere for another 6 minutes. If you're a fan of the band, this one will have you sitting in your vehicle, listening til the end, even after you have reached your destination.
If you've never heard of Mantar before, check this shit out! And if you're simply not a fan, WHAT???????
Mantar Online
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