### Mathyr: Mandraken

#### 19/02/09 || Daemonomania

Is this black metal? Sure sounds like it, but with some lower vox and more death metallic riffs and structures built in. Right away, the fact that there’s some grimness goin’ on should give you a hint that “Mandraken” won’t be treated as fairly in this review as it should be. If you wear corpsepaint to the supermarket it may be your new favorite shit to listen to while shrieking in the produce aisle. But not me. I’ll grunt at my cabbage, thank you very much. So with that pre-existing bias in mind, let’s continue.

Nota bene, I do have some black/death in my collection, and therefore some basis for comparison. Most of what I have is chaotic, poorly recorded, keyboard-ridden, blast-heavy, nauseatingly melodic, and overall pretty weak. Mathyr is different and much easier on the ears of the average non-raccoon. They do have a keyboard from time to time, and sure there are tons and tons of those signature fast ‘n frosty melodic BM riffs. But their songs are much more straight-ahead in their construction – very thrashy. This works in their favour for the most part, though it does tend to lend to some repetition. A problem they should mend. No intention to offend. I have an email here and I’m going to press “send”…sorry.

Throughout “Mandraken” the band evokes both feelings of distance and in-your-face cruelty. The guitars typically take a background role, though they occasionally switch right into a meaty riff. The drums are certainly not taking the forefront in the somewhat dry production, and needless to say the bass plays almost no role. But the vocals are constantly on the attack – a black rasp interspersed with the death growl we all know and love. The human hissing is pushed up front, and the vocal patterns are what often hook the listener in.

The style certainly takes some getting used to, but there are a few tracks that keep me coming back over the years. “Bloody corpse resistance” is a fine opener, “God is lost” follows up nicely, and then there’s a bit of a drought until the menacing album highlight “In front of cold distance.” The title is right on the money for the feelings this song conjures up. Like you’re looking at an iceberg, about to freeze to death, from a distance. Gorod is watching us… From a distance…

Anyway, these hardworking and probably quite mysterious Germans get a 4 out of 10 from me, but if you’ve racked up enough kvlt points to get a free digital camera it could be right up your alley.

- Information
- Released: 2004
- Label: Animate Records
- Website: www.mathyr.de
- Band
- Sagrim: vocals, guitars, synth
- Griev: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Bloody Corpse Resistance
- 02. God Is Lost
- 03. Mandraenken
- 04. Resurrected Blasphemy
- 05. Imperial Symphony
- 06. In Front of Cold Distance
- 07. Trinity Suicide
- 08. Dschihad