Lord Mantis

The disturbing and deliciously blasphemous artwork that adorns Lord Mantis's new album sets a tone, even before listening to the music, of something bleak and totally unforgiving. Upon first listen, one can immediately sense how this band (a project featuring members of Nachtmystium and Indian) act as a far purer vessel for unadorned pain and hatred than even the aforementioned extreme metal heavyweights. There's no love here. The mid-tempo, double bass plod permeating Pervertor creates the unshakable feeling that something is coming, an invisible, otherworldly force that the band are perpetually threatening to unleash. The single-minded coldness invokes elements of late-era Celtic Frost sludge and, at least in spirit and vocal style, a certain amount of Witchery, minus any sense of humour. The seven tracks display a terrifying simplicity, which although making it difficult to distinguish the songs from one another, contributes mightily to the sense of dread they're undoubtedly intended to provoke.