When I reviewed Azusa’s new album earlier this month, which featured Extol’s guitarist/drummer, I wondered what happened to the rest of the notable band. That answer came about when I discovered Mantric, made up of Extol’s core members, Tor, Ole, and John, who also previously performed as Lengsel. To dive into a band that has had 20+ years of experience in different outlets is an exciting prospect, and I will do just that for Mantric’s new album, False Negative.
“Polyanna” starts off False Negative with euphoric synth leading the melody and a vocal performance that exudes intensity with shrill high notes adding depth to the lyrics. “Itching Soul” follows, giving off a Filter/A Perfect Circle vibe with chilling guitars and the bass standing out. The bridge has a nice guitar run and some spoken vocals with a dismissive tone to bring a sense of finality to the lyrical tone.
Next up is “Queen Fatigue,” more riff-heavy and aggressive in nature with shouted vocals and a punching snare in the verses. I was half-expecting a guitar solo later on in the song, but received blast beats, befitting of the heaviness of the track. “Norwegian Dastard” slows things down and has elements of the genre of swing, of all things, in its usage of piano. The six-minute runtime sees an extensive outro bring the song to a close.
“Blame the Beggar” is reminiscent of the opening track with an upbeat constitution (despite being in minor key.) The chorus vocals are relatable to a common struggle: “You make me someone I don’t want to be, someone who only cares for me.” Focusing on coming out of a dark place, “Dawn” is a lyrical masterpiece drenched in mystique from the instruments that never overstays its welcome in its six+-minute runtime.
Another fast-paced jive, “The Towering Mountain” brings the viciousness back and has a fantastic pre-chorus hook. A particularly heavy part halfway-through caught my attention and cemented its status as my favorite song on False Negatives. “Every Day is Independence Day” (quite the polarizing title) uses a raw-sounding guitar in the verse, and would fit right at home on a Deftones record.
“Darling Demon” has the most massive sound yet, unforgiving and uncompromising in its delivery. When the piece finally gets melodic four minutes in, it keeps the listener hooked for another two minutes. The album wraps up with the 8:38 “Starmonger,” a strong bit of closure to seal the deal for False Negatives.
There’s some great variety at play in Mantric’s False Negatives, not confined to a genre or sounding like any one band at any point. Standout tracks, like “Dawn” and “The Towering Mountain” are great places to start if you want to experience what Mantric has to offer. It’s great to see all the members of Extol enjoying their creativity, which shines in False Negatives!
A press copy was provided courtesy of Atom Splitter PR.
