Kazea – I. Ancestral Review

By Iceberg

Kazea hail from Sweden, home of the Björiff and the chainsaw song of the HM2. But on their debut album, I. Ancestral, the Gothenburg trio promise to blend “the power of post-rock, the haunting melodies of neo-folk, and the crushing weight of sludge.” If the mere mention of sludge hasn’t sent you screaming from the room, good, because you’re in for a treat today. I dealt with posty sludge from labelmates Besra in my n00b days, but throwing neo-folk into the mix puts an unusual spin on the situation. While both styles revel in their simplicity of content, the open soundscapes of folk could provide much-needed contrast against sludge’s distorted chugging. Or it could devolve into a mishmash of styles that don’t share any common language. Whatever the musical case, there’s no denying the gorgeous poetry of Frederico Garcia Lorca in opener “With A Knife:” “Green, how I want you green. Green wind. Green branches. The ship out on the sea. The horse on the mountain.” Color me intrigued.

Kazea choose to separate and highlight, rather than amalgamate, their stylistic influences, a gamble that pays off more often than not. Dusky acoustic guitars reminiscent of Gustavo Santaolalla or A Romance With Violence-era Wayfarer lead the folk-inspired sections, evoking untamed, pagan wilderness (“With A Knife,” “A Strange Burial”). The sludge, which forms the backbone of Kazea’s sound, is more Melvins than Mastodon, and a lot of American Scrap-era Huntsmen, with fuzzy guitars and stomping drum patterns (“Whispering Hand,” “Wailing Blood”). Jonas Mattsson’s vocals may be a bit controversial here, with their Billy Corgan-esque nasal quality, but the more I listened to I. Ancestral the more Mattsson’s performance stuck with me. I hear shades of Layne Staley in his scrawling delivery, and while I wasn’t always able to discern the lyrics, his dynamic croon forms the beating heart of the album’s post-metal tunes (“Trenches,” “Seamlessly Woven”).

For a band handing in their debut record, Kazea slither and wind their way around 37 minutes with the hallmarks of seasoned songwriters. An air of storytelling pervades the album, with memorable spoken word fragments (“A Little Knife,” “A Strange Burial”) and ambient soundscapes (“The North Passage,” “Seamlessly Woven”) delivering post-metal’s cinematics within a sludge framework. Post-metal swells and crashes à la This Will Destroy You and Isis are found on “Trenches” and “Seamlessly Woven,” and while these are unsurprisingly the longest tracks on the record they handle their duration well, with the latter providing one of the strongest, heart-wrenching choruses I’ve heard all year long. Even “Whispering Hand,” which is something akin to pop sludge, is a radio-ready anthem full of earworms that evokes the better moments of Them Crooked Vultures.

I. Ancestral is a promising opening for Kazea’s proposed musical series, and its flaws are few and far between. Daniel Olsson’s drums are powerful, and the groove laid down in “The North Passage” marches in mammoth lockstep with Rasmus Lindbolm’s bass, but the minimalist tribal kick/toms/snare pattern begins to feel a bit overused the longer one listens to the record. “Pale City Skin” and “Wailing Blood” both start strongly but spin their riff wheels a touch too long, giving in to the tendency of both sludge and post-metal to utilize repetition for content. And while a master by Cult of Luna’s Magnus Lindberg is roomy and darkly colorful, the vocal mix does get buried in the busier sections of the album, which is a shame because these constitute some of the best music I. Ancestral has to offer (“Trenches,” “Seamlessly Woven”). But the overall impression of Kazea’s debut beats its blemishes, presenting a stark and unique voice formed from disparate influences.

“…with a knife. With a little knife that just fits into the palm.” The chilling denouement of “With A Knife” has stuck with me as I’ve ruminated over I. Ancestral. It neatly encapsulates the album, weaving shadowy, wooded energy into an unlikely combination of post-metal and sludge. The album is smartly edited and easy to pore over multiple times, with repeat listens revealing some standout moments: “Whispering Hand” is a shamelessly fun sludge anthem, and “Seamlessly Woven” is the most emotionally packed closer I’ve heard since The Drowning’s “Blood Marks My Grave.” I think Kazea have knocked it out of the park with this debut, and are on the verge of coalescing their sound into something truly remarkable. Don’t sleep on these guys.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Suicide Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025

#2025 #35 #GustavoSantaolalla #Hunstmen #IAncestral #Isis #Kazea #Mar25 #Melvins #NeoFolk #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #Sludge #SuicideRecords #SwedishMetal #ThemCrookedVultures #ThisWillDestroyYou #Wayfarer

Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression Review

By Saunders

German duo Mantar exploded onto the scene on 2014’s massive debut LP Death By Burning, unleashing a raw collection of doom-flecked, blackened punk-sludge anthems. Boasting a nasty streak and series of ginormous grooves and infectiously hooky riffs and songwriting, the album had a fresh appeal, featuring nods towards legendary acts, Motörhead and Melvins. An equally impressive sophomore album followed, solidifying Mantar as a dependable force as their career progressed. Despite recent efforts not quite hitting the impressive highs of their early work, Mantar remain true to the old ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ motto to solid effect. Returning with a fifth album of original material, can Post Apocalyptic Depression find Mantar raising the takes to return to the intense highs of their early work, or will they fall victim to the dreaded Law of Diminishing returns?

Mantar’s signature sound remains distinctive and easy to like. The duo’s more refined songwriting and polished modern production may have slightly compromised the nastier edge and rawer traits that proved so effective on Death By Burning and Ode to the Flame, however, the duo’s sound has certainly not lost its edge. Each song packs revved-up energy, punky attitude, and ample heft to get the blood pumping and the head bobbing in unison with Mantar’s groovy swagger and penchant for burly, surly riffs and hooky songcraft. In this respect Mantar treads similar terrain to their past couple of albums, pumping out compact, energetic ditties at a lively clip. Whereas the first couple of albums featured a darker, brooding menace and venomous edge, Post Apocalyptic Depression leans into the hard-hitting rock grooves and straightforward songwriting to warm, comforting, if less potent effect.

The raucous delivery and no-frills blueprint pay dividends for the most part, making for a punchy, compact listen. While mostly sticking to his trademark raspy snarl, Hanno’s endearing vocals possess a wickedly infectious knack for sing-along vocal hooks and accessibility that belies the seething elements and blackened touches that still frame the Mantar sound. It’s especially cool when he layers things up with a cleaner, punky snarl to offset his signature rasp. A quick burst of feedback kicks off opener “Absolute Ghost,” leading headlong into a thumping beat and typically groovy punk-sludge riff. It’s a brisk, impactful beginning, setting the tone for what follows. Amidst nods to their punkier old school roots, Post Apocalyptic Depression doesn’t bust boundaries or challenge the duo’s best work. However, it proves a heavier and slightly less polished affair than its predecessor, with a thin layer of grime to dirty up otherwise sleek modern production values.

Running at a tight 35 minutes, quality mostly strikes a consistent standard. A handful of decent but less remarkable tunes (“Morbid Vocation,” “Principle of Command” and “Two Choices of Eternity”) sit alongside more memorable counterparts, including super catchy single “Rex Perverso,” and the more ambitious, seething throes of blackened sludge brawler, “Halsgericht.” Pacing occasionally stutters but never derails momentum thanks to other cut-above gems, such as the vicious punk tones and anthemic hooks of the excellent “Dogma Down,” and walloping one-two punch of “Pit of Guilt” and dubiously titled “Church of Suck.” Later in the piece, listeners will be pleased by the uglier, genuinely blackened intensity of the rabid “Axe Death Scenario.” Hanno’s solid guitar work and punk-charged sludgy riffs still carry plenty of bite and heft. Melodic undertones and groovy textures provide some extra versatility and nuance to otherwise straight-ahead jams, further driven by Erinc’s powerhouse, no-nonsense rhythms and hard-hitting style. Production is less glossy than its predecessor but again lacks the unrefined sonic charms of their earlier material, further dulled by compressed mastering.

Over a decade removed from their punishing debut, Mantar continue delivering the dependable goods. And at this point, it’s hard to imagine them dropping a dud album anytime soon. All the key ingredients remain, the writing is as catchy as ever, and while impact may not match the might of their early work, the duo retains their fun, rollicking yet uncompromising style and infectious songcraft. On the flipside, things are getting a little too predictable over the past few albums, with the weaker, or stock standard tunes scattered amidst some genuinely top-shelf anthems compromising overall quality. Mileage will vary, but Mantar’s Post Apocalyptic Depression is another worthy and entertaining addition to the Mantar canon.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: mantarbandcamp.com | facebook.com/mantarband
Releases Worldwide: February 14th, 2025

#2025 #30 #BlackenedSludge #Doom #GermanMetal #Mantar #Melvins #MetalBladeRecords #Motörhead #PostApocalypticDepression #PunkMetal #Review #Reviews #Sludge