I am having a good month with so much good Folk Metal brought to my attention! Last week I had the utter pleasure to review the new NIDHOEGGR album, and then this week my attention is drawn to MANNTRA, the quartet once again bringing some sublime Melodic Folk Metal to their throngs of fans in the form of their EP "Nightcall", and I simply cannot wait. The artwork is simple, the bands emblem embossed onto a backing, simple and effective.

Opening the EP is "Naranca", and straight away we are treated to some cultural stylings, with what I will assume are some traditional Croatian Folk musical styles combined succinctly with some hard hitting rhythms and guitars. Even though it is a short track, I am captivated and cannot wait to see what comes next. And, well, the titular "Nightcall" just explodes into my headphones. What a contrast between these two tracks though, with a more Melodic / Gothic styling to this track. It is dark and gloomy, but at the same time it is uplifting... It flows seamlessly from one section to the next, and all involved are adding layers and depth that just really create this fantastically well rounded track the lyrics 'there's something inside you, its hard to explain' really capture how I feel about "Nightcall" as something, nestled away within the tracking resonated with me on such a deep level... But I feel if I tried to put it into words I would just ramble on and on... As I am doing... Anyway, just go and listen to this track, let me know if it has the same effect on you!

The final track, "No Time To Die" again works along this weird blend of Melodic / Gothic / Folk and now Industrial?! Whoever thought to combine these different styles has had an absolute master thought as they are all complementing one another superbly. It is an epic track to see out the EP, but I can see the live show unfolding in front of me when I close my eyes I'm transported there into the middle of the crowd all singing in unison and that is always the sign of something special to me. Overall, I mean it was honestly just superb. My only gripe would be that I wanted more. All fans of Metal, no matter your preferred niche or dub genre should ensure that MANNTRA are on your radar. They're certainly on mine and I hope to catch them in the UK one day!