Mantles

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Band(s): Mantles
Label(s): Self-Released
Release Format(s): CD, Demo
Release Year: 2003
Review Date: March 9, 2004
Author(s): Manuel Boss

Mantles is a one-man Black Metal project exclusively performed by C.L. The band resides in Chicago, USA and doesn’t involve in participating in other bands. ‘Land Of Silence And Darkness (Land Des Schweigens Und Der Dunkelheit)’ – besides being a long demo title – is C.L.’ first demo unleashed. Currently Mantles is finishing their second demo at the moment, which should be ready by the end of this month.

The intro does very much resemble a familiar tune of the PC game called Diablo. Finally when ‘The Night Sis A Black Ice Storm’ is revealed some sinister Black Metal comes forth. The guitars are pretty cool recorded as if they’re very vague and enhanced with lots of reverb for extra depth. The whole atmosphere sounds like an icestorm, which is pretty suiting when looking at the track title. Constant artillery poundings by drum-computer are guiding the music on ‘Land Of Silence And Darkness (Land Des Schweigens Und Der Dunkelheit)’. It sounds as though this release could be an early recording of Diabolicum and refers further to their “The Grandeur Of Hell”, only less produced compared to this release.

While the third and fifth track enter – whom are entitled ‘Untitled I’ and ‘Untitled II’ – it’s a totally different style and more eerie ambient so to speak. When interacting with C.L, he respond to this in doing something different from the standard Black Metal formula by creating hypnotic, droning passages in between the violent Black Metal tracks. In other words; the first demo release of Mantles only bears three musical songs plus proximally ten minutes of non-interesting tunes. The two music styles are so different that most likely you’d either like the one or the other. However, the setup is original though and could be referred to Ildjarn’s earlier and newer work mixed up together. Last of these three songs – including the intro – is just a didgeridoo hooked on a flanger.

VM-UNDERGROUND

Extreme Metal Fanzine est. 2012

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Mantles – Land of Silence & Darkness (Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit) [Demo]

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