MANTICORA - Mycelium 

MANTICORA

Album: Mycelium

Genre: Thrash / Death / Powermetal

Release Date: January 26th, 2024

Country: Denmark

Label: Mighty Music

Band Links: WEBSITE / BANDCAMP / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Danish powerhouse MANTICORA have been around for a while now, more precisely since 1997, yet they’re still ready to rumble through our living rooms with album Number 10, that got the lovely name “Mycelium” and is out on January 26th, 2024 via Mighty Music. While they started as a Powermetal band nearly 30 years ago, they broadened their spectrum by adding elements of Thrash, Prog, Black and Death Metal, and refined their style that way. But how will the new record line up in their already impressive discography?

The instrumental intro "Winter Solstice" sets a dark tone, and takes us straight to the "Necropolitans", with the band firing on all cylinders, even going stronger during the following "Demonday". The riffs are heavy, well supported by the pushing rhythm section and powerful, easily recognizable vocals, all melting the best of the earlier mentioned genres, and the embeded solos adding some proggy virtuosity. Besides the more balladic "Angel of the Spring" and the beautiful, instrumental interlude "Equinox", they keep the high tempo and full power, but also skillfully change pace and mood when needed without losing tension. 

Compared to the previous releases, “Mycelium” is rather short with “only” 46 minutes, during which the whole band works like a well-oiled machine, still coming along with a mighty, vibrant sound thanks to their mix of amazing musicianship, diverse song-writing and huge playing joy. All-together, MANTICORA offer a great listening fun for fans of heavy music and one of their strongest albums to date, that might become a blast in a live setting. Horns up! 

Written by Katha

 Track-List: 

1. Winter Solstice

2. Necropolitans

3. Demonday

4. Angel Of The Spring

5. Golem Sapiens

6. Mycelium

7. Beast Of The Fall

8. Equinox

9. Mementopolis

10. Día De Los Muertos

Line-Up: 

Kristian Larsen – Guitars

Lars F. Larsen – Vocals

Stefan Johansson – Guitars

Kasper Gram – Bass

Discography: 

Roots Of Eternity (1999)

Darkness With Tales To Tell (2001)

Hyperion (2002)

8 Deadly Sins (2004)

The Black Circus – part 1 (2006)

The Black Circus – part 2 (2007)

Safe (2010)

To Kill To Live To Kill (2018)

To Live To Kill To Live (2020)

Mycelium (2024)