The album opens with ‘Ceremony’, a banjo and a female voice open the album. The drums join and the female vocals create a harmony together. There are hints of a didgeridoo, getting you ready for title track ‘Titans’. That one opens fast and sturdy. The instruments make place for the lead vocals of Marko Matijević Sekul. At the chorus, all comes together and it becomes clear why Manntra are called ‘folk metal heroes’. This song is strong and doesn’t move for anything. It stands on its own and brings you folk metal music with attention to detail. A lot of little sounds are hidden in the song and you will discover them on listening to the track many times. Add a solid riff and that’s what ‘Titans’ brings you.

‘Teuta’ brings Manntra back to their roots by telling the story of a legendary Illyrian queen who reigned in Croatia around 200 BC. The guitars bring a fast strummed riff in the chorus. The verses are calmer and bring the raspy voice of lead singer Marko Matijević Sekul to the top. A raw and pure song, true to their selves and to history.
‘The Heart of the Storm’ opens by saying its name. The background vocals give the song an ancient vibe. The verses are sung on a bed of acoustic guitars, later the electric guitars join in as well. The high notes played on the acoustic guitar keep following you around throughout the song and make for a very recognizable part.

‘Unholy Water (Voda)’ also screams its name at the opening. It also has the ancient female background vocals that are heard throughout the album. The song is catchy and solid. The pre chorus near the end brings dark vibes and sounds a bit sinister. But then the chorus comes in and lifts the song back up to its catchiness.
‘Skal’ seems like a party song to all celebrate together. The song keeps a calmer pace and comes back to its chorus that gets stuck in your head very easily.

“Raise your horns into the air
And sing a song loud and proud and strong
SKAL!
SKAL!
Sing loud and strong
SKAL!
SKAL!”

‘Higher’ comes in faster and feels like a battle is about to begin. The first verse is a huge contrast with the opening. It’s played on a calm electric guitar and a banjo and gives the song a different dimension. The song is hiding in the verses and comes to battle in the choruses. The solo makes this song complete and makes you recharge before going to battle again.
‘My Sandman’ opens unlike I thought it would. It has electronics in it, or synths to better describe it. Not what I expected, but it suits the music very well. The rest of the song is in line with what we have encountered already: female background vocals, electric guitars and banjo creating the main body of the music.

‘Riders in the Dawn’ has an electric guitar fading in. Then it trades the electric guitar for vocals, bass and drums. Then all come together for a while before switching again. The chorus sounds harmonious and catchy. Throughout the song Manntra plays with the instruments and the vocals and the way they interact with each other. A very dynamic song and sound.
‘Forgotten pt.1’ plays with electronics again, creating a fusion between folk metal and industrial metal. The guitars are surprisingly heavy after the calm and steady electronic parts. And I love it. ‘Forgotten pt.2 – The Ritual’ continues where pt.1 left us. The melody is somewhat the same. A bit more electronic maybe. But the two songs really fit well together, yet they also differ from each other. It is so subtle. It has a certain mystery to it, something I haven’t heard before. If you think it leaves the heavy guitars out, you’re wrong. This one also has some heavy guitars for you, in parts of the song you don’t always expect it.

Closer ‘Nav’ opens very mysteriously. You start to listen closely, that is when the band goes full volume and blasts you back into your chair. This one has really solid and fast powerchords on electric guitars, but also the subtle elements of the acoustic guitars and the banjo. Topped off with the female background vocals and you get the style that Manntra made its own.

Wow, what can I say, I’m very pleseantly surprised. I knew that Manntra were good, but this album exceeds my expectations. It has many different dimensions and it plays with different vibes within the same style. The album is dynamic and has you hooked to it form start to finish. It even adds a whole other element by playing with electronics and synths. I absolutely love it.

Manntra is:
Marko Matijević Sekul – Vocal / Synth / Guitar / Pipes
Andrea Kert – Drums
Zoltan Lečei – Bass
Zlatko Štefančić – Guitar / Mandolina / Pipes
Dorian Pavlović – Guitar / Acoustic

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