Friday, March 16, 2012

Lord Mantis-Pervertor


What can one say about a band named Lord Mantis? One strange concotion that combines doom, and  swedish grind. The heavy drones of their new album are incredibly morbid mixed with eerie growls and screams to create their epic new album “Pervertor.”
            The album draws heavy influence from Sleep, Electric Wizard, At the Gates and Carcass, which could do more than throw the listener off. Tracks like “Pervertor of the Will,” “Ritual Killer,” and “The Whip and the Body” demonstrate the talent band has in the way that they combine these influences to make the most twisted little baby you've ever laid ears on.
            One of the highlights of the album is the horror aspect it gives off from the production. Some things sound a little more raw than others at times and give off that claustrophobic vibe to really put one in a state of terror. The combination of the reverb from the vocals and the fuzz from the bass can really make you feel like you're being watched. Certain moments in being trapped in the album the walls in your house will appear to begin closing in, such as the first few minutes and last minute of the albums opener, “Pervertor of the Will.” The song is a fantastic way to draw the unsuspecting listener in by twisting and turning whilst holding them in its grip to pull them further into the darkness.
            As you go deeper into the rabbit hole that is “Pervertor,” “Septichrist” and  “Vile Divinity” continue to throw you around the room and add more of that uneasiness. You will feel things watching you with the way the riffs and drum patterns get to you. When the vocals come in, you'll swear you just saw something move in the shadows.
            “Levia” has more of a traveling caravan vibe to it as it continues the dark journey of “Pervertor.” It makes the listener feel as if they are on a path in the fog being driven by instinct to follow, even though they know they will never escape this dark world. “Ritual Killer” builds on this while transforming into the hideous thing they find at the end of the road.
            The last two songs “At the Mouth” and “The Whip and the Body,” the album closes with the feeling of running from the beast at the end of the journey and failing to escape, thus succumbing to the same fate as all who have journeyed on this path. A great way to end an album of this nature. Sheer terror.
            At just a mere seven tracks, “Pervertor” shows the right way to pay tribute to your idols while making chaos beautiful.  “Pervertor” gives off the same vibe that H.P. Lovecraft's tales of horror do with the same excellent precision.  The album doesn't feel like music, it feels like a reoccuring nightmare. It's almost as if the listener is living in the album. It's the scare a lot of people will be looking for.
 
 
 
            Rating: 95 %

            Highlights
            Pervertor of the Will
            Ritual Killer 

           

            Written by Chris Butera.

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