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Frontiers [Release date: 11.11.22]
It’s a little off putting that Mantric Momentum’s Melodic Metal debut album, Trial By Fire, shares its title with numerous releases of the same name. From Henry Jackman’s movie music to Journey’s tenth studio album to Rammstein’s 2021 career compilation. You wonder if that worrying lack of originality will follow through into the album itself.
The fact that the opening track is titled ‘Tabula Rasa’ just exacerbates the problem. And then we discover that this opener, a majestic instrumental, has been orchestrated by maestro, Magnus Karlsson.
All change. We know that Karlsson uses symphonic metal music to create dramatic effects, skillfully connecting martial crescendos to moody, atmospheric choral passages. This ‘Tabula Rasa’ is a yet new example of the man’s craft.
And so the album begins on a high.
We didn’t expect the temperature of the music to change so abruptly with the second track, ‘Course Of Fate’. The band, a duo – vocalist Terje (Pyramaze) Haroy and songwriter/ instrumentalist, Christer (Divided Multitude) Haroy’s headbanging heavy metal thunder on this track has all the intensity of power metal, it’s a different direction, but welcome nonetheless.
‘In The Heart Of The Broken’s driving, purposeful melodic metal is cut from the same chainmail. It could be Bonnet singing, such is Terje Haroy’s vocal intensity – and as it does on so many tracks, Christer Haroy’s solo axework creates extraordinarily colourful musical textures.
A strong sense of sameness creeps in after that. You can’t escape the feeling that it’s all a bit forced, but then the powerful ballad, ‘Fighter’ steadies the ship.
Terje Haroy reins back on the vocal intensity a little, and a welcome bit of social commentary brightens up the over familiarity of the “she’s a fighter” narrative.
Christer Haroy’s guitarwork steps up to handle the heavy lifting, motivated and melodic, pushing the track up a gear or two, and the song climaxes in a pounding, percussive finish. Would have made a magnificently apposite closing track. ***
Review by Brian McGowan
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