Lord Mantis - Pervertor (2012)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre: Sludge Metal

Style: Blackened Sludge Metal

Label Number: CDL497

.FLAC via Florenfile

.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 2012 Candlelight Records USA

Review by Danny Heater for Sea of Tranquilty.org

Candlelight Records has been signing more and more abrasive bands in the last decade, seemingly since they lost Emperor to oblivion, yet it's far from bandwagon hopping thankfully since a good portion of their bands are at least unique if not amazing. In terms of Lord Mantis however, which is basically a Nachtmystium side-project member-wise, there's too many other, better choices in terms of sludgy, sprawling callousness. The band is almost like a slow, sludge version of older Nachtmystium actually, in terms of attitude, but what they lack from that era, and from contemporaries, is longevity and character.

That said, Lord Mantis' second release does a lot to improve on their first. Unlike their first record, the songs flow way better, the transitions are more fluid, and the vocals are far more listenable and in synch with what the other instruments are doing. The first track, "Pervertor of the Will," is almost misleading in that sense, for it's a lot more powerful and enticing than most of the following tracks. "Vile Divinity" would be another standout for its tempo variance from the rest of the album, and the structural build of "The Whip and the Body" actually sounds like the band is trying to go somewhere, but aside from that the other tracks are extremely generic and uninspired. You just can't have sludge that sounds like the very sludge itself is bored with seeping through the crannies of your skull to soil the listener. "Levia" and "Ritual Killer" may as well be jam-band tracks, and might work better if compressed. The record might nourish any sludge fan's fix since it's still dirty as hell and vaguely groovy, but like the last album there's little lasting value.

tags: lord mantis, pervertor, 2012, flac,