Mantus - Wölfe

In every end there is a start. Every dying era is succeeded by a new age. MANTUS had to learn that the hard way: Only recently, long-time female vocalist Thalia left the band. But instead of getting disheartened by this serious blow, Martin fought on nonetheless, found a wonderful new companion in Chiara and took on the burden of existence, everyday life and society once more. With the new MANTUS album „Wölfe“ („wolves“), the first chapter of this new era has officially begun. Available at the ASP/ MANTUS fall tour for the first time, this work once again proves to be a canalization of all that which makes us despair in life. After last years' double blow consisting of „Zeichen“ and the uncompromising „Sünder“ EP, MANTUS once again prove that they belong to the spearhead of the German Gothic movement and that they are more than willing to defend this status to the blood. Which won't be a problem at all: Not only embodies „Wölfe“ all that what MANTUS ever stood for, but it also carries the attitude of a whole movement, clads the fight with one's demons in powerful songs. For these artists, isolation, estrangement and world weariness are not only words but emotions they carry deep within themselves as a cloud carries rain. „Wölfe“ is a manifest of melancholy, a bastion of misanthropic feelings, a figurehead of the Gothic movement in 2012. In a world of human wolves, righteousness, love and understanding have become scarce goods. MANTUS are well aware of that and write songs that almost burst of intensity and that clad all those disappointments, bad experiences and drawbacks into massive, bombastic compositions. With those, Martin and Chiara achieve something that is also possible to happen with the listener: They exorcize negativity, leaving behind strength and determination, framed in elegiac hymns balancing between Gothic mourning, aggressive Metal force and electronic dynamics. More versatile than ever, the duo adds acoustic guitars, violins and the captivating interplay of Chiara's fragile, fairy-like voice and Martin's deep, pained vocals to the 13 new songs. Critical as always, they take a look at mankind and a dying world that we are leading to the edge step by step. Man is a wolf to man. Records like „Wölfe“, however, unmistakably prove to where such a behaviour leads and turn out to be a plea for more humaneness and honesty. Perhaps MANTUS won't change the world with this album. But they at least show that even small deeds can make a big difference – and deliver the morbid soundtrack of our downfall along the way. Deep, relentless, without compromises and gripping - „Wölfe“ does not shrink from despising our world. And yet there is hope that one day it will get better. Record Label: Trisol Music Group Style: Rock