Album review: Mantar – Post Apocalyptic Depression

Last year marked a decade since Mantar first emerged with debut album Death By Burning, a milestone which does not appear to have been met with introspection or solemnity by the German duo. Quite the opposite, in fact: Post Apocalyptic Depression is a shit-kicking blast of rock action that revels in gut-level grooves and no-fucks-given attitude. Their fifth full-length of original material sounds, in the best possible way, like it was thrown together by two mates having a ruddy great time. Which it was, by all accounts: according to guitarist/vocalist Hanno Klänhardt, they wrote the album in just two days.

Most commonly thought of as a sludge metal band, Mantar here dig into both rowdy punk attitude and the deliberately primitive catchiness that inspired their lockdown covers album Grungetown Hooligans II – a title which would work equally well here. Tunes like Absolute Ghost and Pit Of Guilt are built on careening garage rock, while Face Of Torture and Two Choices Of Eternity reveal a love for the heavy-riffing side of Nirvana’s Bleach era. The brilliantly-titled Axe Death Scenario even offsets its wonderfully dunderheaded chorus with grindcore-adjacent sections.

Evoking everything from the blackened hardcore of early Kvelertak to the death’n’roll of Entombed’s Wolverine Blues, Post Apocalyptic Depression belies the downbeat connotations of its monicker with its ability to put a smile on the face of devotees of no-bullshit rock music. With its exhortation to ‘Join the legions of the anti-sun,’ lead single Halsgericht casts Mantar as cult recruiters, but it all sounds far too much fun to come across as a sinister proposition. Spirited, forceful and infectious, this is their best yet.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Kvelertak, Bokassa, Nirvana

Post Apocalyptic Depression is released on February 14 via Metal Blade