Rating: 8/10
Release: 14 March 2025
Label: Napalm Records

Manntra started life in 2011 as a relatively straightforward Industrial Metal band, but in the ensuing decade and a half, their sound has slowly but surely evolved to the unique style they have today. By introducing the more melodic elements of Power and Folk Metal into the mix, they appear to have discovered some kind of musical alchemy.

My first experience of the band was when I saw them live in Gothenburg sometime pre-pandemic (possibly 2019) as the opening act for German Industrial legends, Die Krupps. I was instantly blown away by their enthusiasm and energy. Like most bands, however, the studio albums have never quite managed to capture the same feeling as their live shows. For that reason, I am pleased to say that while Titans again falls slightly short of the mark, it does come very, very close.

There genuinely isn’t a bad song on the album and although at times the lack of variation can feel a bit tedious, it is delivered with such aplomb that you can’t help but get swept along by the sheer bombast of it all. Every track is an absolute banger, each seemingly even catchier than the one preceding it. That said, I do have one criticism, but it’s a small one. I feel that the female backing vocals are a bit overused, and while they are not bad per se, they are too similar and don’t tend to vary much from track to track. That small gripe aside, this is easily Manntra’s best album to date and judging by the huge leap the songwriting has made compared to previous albums, it’s safe to assume that their best is yet to come.

Tracklist

1. Ceremony
2. Titans
3. Teuta
4. The Heart Of The Storm
5. Unholy Water (Voda)
6. Skal
7. Higher
8. My Sandman
9. Riders In The Dawn
10. Forgotten pt.1
11. Forgotten pt.2 – The Ritual
12. Nav