Manntra – Titans Review

By Twelve

It’s appalling to me that nearly six years have passed since I last reviewed Manntra. The passage of time is a horrifying thing, but there it is, in print: Manntra – Oyka! Review By Twelve on July 29, 2019. On the other hand, the passage of time is what inspires a good chunk of folk metal in the first place, and Oyka! was a fun folk metal album. Between then and now, Manntra released another three full-lengths that weren’t reviewed here (some other stuff happened too), which puts me a bit out of date for their recent activities. Nevertheless, I was excited to see the Croatians reappear in our Promo Pit for Titans, their eighth full-length (and first with Napalm Records), as I did enjoy Oyka! and am never opposed to the emergence of cheer. So how have the last six years been for Manntra, and how does Titans hold up to their rapidly growing discography?

Three missed releases or no, Manntra’s sound is instantly recognizable: a heavy, energetic metal base, a light dusting from folky instruments, and the unmistakable vocals of Marko Matijević Sekul. It’s a sound I can best describe as “pretty much” folk metal—it’s got the right lyrical themes; the acoustic guitars from Dorian Pavlović, the mandolin from Zlatko Štefančić, and pipes from Sekul; and it’s all kinds of energetic. However, there is one foot resting in the door of traditional, even industrial heavy metal. Sekul plays synths, while Andrea Kert and Zoltan Lečei refuse to be left out on drums and bass, respectively. But it’s Sekul’s voice that most significantly defines Manntra’s sound (vocalists, am I right?); his rasps, shouts, and chants toe the line between heavy and folk metal in a fascinating way—he has a charisma to his approach that’s hard to define, harder to replicate, and contributes heavily to Titans’s identity.

If the above sounded appealing to you, there is plenty more where it came from—Titans is heavy, fun, and folky. Manntra excel at big choruses that get caught in the brain, such as the superbly folky “Riders in the Dawn,” the intense, almost panicked “Higher,” and the symphonic-metal-esque “Teuta.” Across Titans, Štefančić’s mandolin is used to excellent effect, especially in “Unholy Water (Voda)” and the Miracle of Sound cover “Skal.” At times, Manntra step away from the folk influence, such as on the title track and “My Sandman,” which opens with poppy synths and makes much more effort to be heavy than catchy. Since Titans, not unlike previous Manntra work, is a fairly vocals-dominated album, this kind of variance goes a long way towards keeping things interesting across its full runtime.

The main drawback I can find with Titans is that Manntra seem to operate significantly better, for my ears at least, as a folk metal band than as a heavy metal one. Everything about them, from the lyrics to the instruments to the performances, aligns so well with folk. “Skal” is an absolute delight because Manntra can lean so far into the joyous anthem to drinking culture, while “Nav” is utterly elevated by the use of pipes. By contrast, “My Sandman” doesn’t work nearly as well; it is neither catchy nor particularly moving. Similarly, the two “Forgotten” tracks are solid, good works of heavy metal, but feel out of place at the close of an album that does lean folkier. I know I just listed the variety as a strength above—it is, but this particular approach leaves Titans feeling a touch uneven.

Titans is a fun album, and shows that Manntra really haven’t missed a step. Its highs are awesome, and it’s given me a lot of repeat listening material since I started spinning it. If it’s inconsistent in whether it is “good” or “very good,” it is very consistent in being an enjoyable listen and a good time… which I think is what Manntra was going for. I do recommend giving Titans a spin or two if you’re at all folk-inclined. As for me, I’ll be keeping a much more careful eye out for the next one, and so hopefully do this again soon.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: manntra.bandcamp.com | manntra.hr | facebook.com/ManntraOfficial
Releases Worldwide: March 14th, 2025

#2025 #30 #CroatianMetal #FolkMetal #Manntra #Mar25 #MiracleOfSound #NapalmRecords #Review #Reviews #Titans

Nydvind – Telluria Review

By El Cuervo

There are many heavy metal bands in the world. Intense genre stratification led to lots of musical hopefuls attempting to carve their own path. Despite their best efforts, it’s incredibly rare for a band to do something that hasn’t been done before. Citing a journey through the “raw energy of black metal,” “profound melancholy of doom,” and “organic vitality of folk,” France’s Nydvind are making another such attempt with their fourth album entitled Telluria. This unusual medley and a 20-year history ensured that I didn’t instinctively reject the one sheet’s notion that the group may be pioneering; there aren’t many bands operating in this genre that split 3 sounds. Is Telluria as distinctive as its genre promises?

The Nydvind style isn’t a part of the same scene as the likes of Agalloch, but they capture the earthen feel that such bands exalt. “Dance of the Ages” uses flitting, clean guitar lines and occasional chants to conjure a folksy effect, tied into acoustic guitar passages designed to evoke delicacy. This contrasts with the record’s opening heavy passages that blend trilling blackened guitars with deathly, guttural growls. Likewise, “Heart of the Woods II” opens robustly, with a doomy lick delivered via a shredding tone. The remainder of Telluria sometimes winds and sometimes stomps its way through passages that principally progress through a fusion of black, doom, and death metal. Despite its variety, the core of the music has a feel that won’t be totally unfamiliar to fans of Paradise Lost, but observed through a decidedly blacker lens.

When you first start with Telluria, the multitude of influences in the pot and frequent musical shifts make things interesting. But it’s definitely more ‘interesting’ than ‘exciting.’ Although there’s a lot to listen to when paying close attention, my overall emotional response is an unfazed one. The majority of the album is merely okay. This is undoubtedly compounded by the music switching between varied sounds in an uneventful way. “Heart of the Woods II” proceeds through its doomy opening and a blackened second passage then back again, but each transition simply ceases the prior music and commences the next. There are very few moments of sophistication or drama to signal change to the listener. The over-arching fusion of doom / black / death/folk influences sounds harmonious on first listen, but it’s not nearly as stimulating as it should be.

I find my initial interest thoroughly waned by Telluria’s back half. Ultimately, the inability to generate a visceral emotional response (even a negative one) consigns it to the sizeable heap of forgettable music I’ll not bother returning to. The shuffling, directionless song-writing contributes to my dispirited response. I find the doomy mid-pace passages the dullest of Nydvind’s sounds, and these passages sometimes stretch out over minutes at a time. The songs average 8 minutes, and only one runs for fewer than 7, with another exceeding 10. Only “Into the Pantheon of Absynthia” reaches a climax that’s reasonably satisfying, as it escalates with a crescendo that gets heavier over time. The remainder of the songs don’t justify their duration.

The only complete exception to the commentary I’ve provided above is the title track. Pretty much all the best passages on Telluria are locked within these 9 minutes. From the crunchy, blackened verse with piercing shrieked vocals to the layered leads that harmonize then counter-point, it did what no other track could by demanding my attention. It then proceeded to hold it by featuring the album’s best solo and one of its heaviest passages after its mid-point. And just before that heaviness becomes tiring, the ensuing quietness offers a welcome contrast. “Telluria” still fails to stitch together its varied passages in a subtle or engaging way, but separately they’re best throughout.

Despite the more exceptional moments that form the strongest Nydvind material, the vast majority of Telluria leaves me cold. Beyond those moments, it’s difficult for me to highlight any particular riff or melody as standouts; much bleed together into a grey sludge, even with the diverse influences. There’s the potential for a thought-provoking synthesis of styles here. But while the quintessential 2.0 commits the sin of disappointing its listener, Telluria commits the sin of leaving very little mark at all.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: v2 MP3
Label: Malpermesita Records
Website: facebook.com/nydvind
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025

#20 #2025 #Agalloch #BlackMetal #DoomMetal #FolkMetal #FrenchMetal #MalpermesitaRecords #Mar25 #Nydvind #ParadiseLost #Review #Reviews #Telluria

Bloodywood – Nu Delhi Review

By Kenstrosity

Indian nu-metal upstarts Bloodywood deserve every ounce of success they’ve garnered since their early days as a cover band. 2022’s Rakshak was a resounding proof of concept for the band’s original material, effortless and enthusiastic in its uplifting and wholesome messaging delivered through a smooth blend of Indian folk instrumentation and nu-metal aggression. Since then, Bloodywood rapidly gained recognition worldwide, acquiring a contract with Fearless Records, and even earning the distinction of first Indian metal act to hit Billboard charts. For many of our readers, that might spell an ill omen. But it leaves me overjoyed to experience what follow-up Nu Delhi has to offer.

Thankfully, Bloodywood hasn’t touched their core approach. Nostalgic nu metal reigns supreme just as before, bolstered by the region’s traditional instrumentation, which is represented most in the percussion, string, woodwind, brass, and vocal sections. Gruff, rapid-fire raps constitute the rhythmic backbone of Bloodywood’s trademark dueling vocals, while soaring, gravelly cleans and caustic screams provide the melodic and metallic sinew that connects verse to chorus. A renewed focus on pervasive hooks, swaggering riffs, and tight songwriting allows many, if not all, of Nu Delhi’s eight songs to stick even as its 33 minutes fly by. Above all, Nu Delhi is fun, and that’s all I needed from Bloodywood’s follow-up to a breakout record like Rakshak.

Against the established convention, lead single “Nu Delhi” closes this record, encapsulating everything Bloodywood does well, with a satisfying wiggle and groove personifying its almost djenty riffsets. The song may be simple and straightforward, but it gets stuck in my head for days at a time. Such is my affliction with all of Nu Delhi’s best cuts, the highest watermarks of which are the center one-two punch of “Bekauf (ft. BABYMETAL”) and “Kismat.” I did not have “enjoying a song with a BABYMETAL feature” on my bingo card this year, but here we are; the song simply rocks. Furthermore, hearing how much more mature BABYMETAL’s vocalist(s) sounds here is a breath of fresh air. “Kismat” takes the hype “Bekhauf” generates and doubles down with incredible confidence. Serious bars trade blows with one of the album’s best choruses, supported by the album’s strongest guitar, synth, and drum work. Delivered with tons of passion, these cooperative contributions culminate in an exciting bout of aggro fun that carries through Nu Delhi’s conclusion. As an added note, I appreciate the uplifting, empowering message Nu Delhi delivers. Without a sheet to help me through the Hindi lyrics, I can still confidently say Nu Delhi is an album about believing in yourself, not giving in to hate or hatred, fighting corruption, supporting your community, and pushing forward to leave those who would rather see you fail back at the starting line. I need messages like this one in my music, now more than ever, so I extend my thanks to Bloodywood for bringing it.

All that said, Nu Delhi lacks a true showstopper. Rakshak has the inimitable “Yaad,” an unqualified triumph of a song that easily snagged my Song o’ the Year in 2022. No such ultra-banger exists here, much to my chagrin. Nu Delhi is more consistent in overall song quality in a valiant attempt to offset that shortcoming, but other small nitpicks conspire to bring the end product down just a smidge from its predecessor. An example, opening duo “Halla Bol” and “Hutt” are the most “forgettable” selections of the set, their hooks and riffs not quite as sharp as those of its stronger album-mates. Elsewhere, all of Nu Delhi’s traditional instrumentation finds better integration with metallic elements, indicating improvements in mixing. However, the album still sounds compressed to bits (though it is hard to be certain when evaluating a stream promo). As a final nitpick, I would like to see these English lyrics massaged a bit further. Rap and hip-hop live and die by the verse, and there are moments where Bloodywood toe that line too closely with some awkward phrasing (“Tadka”).

In accordance with my mission statement of “destroying AMG’s metal cred from within,” I award Bloodywood another positive score. Largely circumventing the dreaded “sophomore slump,” Nu Delhi is a worthy successor to the addicting Rakshak. It may not have that list-topping song that would push Nu Delhi to the next level, but its high fun factor and consistent quality make a compelling value statement for 33 minutes of your time. Nu metal detractors need not venture here, but I invite everyone else to gather ‘neath the Bloodywood tree, for we rejoice in the rise of Nu Delhi!

Rating: Good!
DR: Streaming Bastards Get No DRs | Format Reviewed: Stream (BAD LABEL! BAD!)
Label: Fearless Records
Websites: bloodywood.bandcamp.com | bloodywood.net
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025

#2025 #30 #Bloodywood #FearlessRecords #FolkMetal #GrooveMetal #IndianMetalMetal #Mar25 #NuDelhi #NuMetal #RapMetal #Review #Reviews