From their EPK, "When you hear the album "Kreatura," you know immediately, this is MANNTRA! The combination of brachial metal riffs, hard industrial sounds and traditional folk instruments is mastered by the band like no other - because there is none. MANNTRA are unique! "Kreatura" is the third album of the Croats, on which they (mainly) use the English language. Musically, there are a few surprises on the cd. Strong choirs give the songs an unexpected power and drama, while the distinctive voice of mastermind Marko M. Sekul tells the stories of the songs as if you were experiencing them. Mysterious, mystical and spooky."

The album has 12 songs, and "Volhov" is the first. It has a heavy romping rhythm to it, with some electronic elements. Catchy tones come out in the chorus. It sounds closer to Gothic Rock to me than Folk rock, but I suppose that Folk Rock could be interpreted a number of different ways. "Nightmare" also features some catchy, Gothic sounds and harmonized vocals. The chorus is fully developed into something that begs you to sing along with. "Devour" has a more sinister edge at first, and some more pensive and emotional sounds later. "Black" is a slick little number with clean guitars and some catchy tones in the chorus. The harmonized vocals are also a nice touch.

The title track is the shortest on the album, at under a minute in length. Odd. "Silvermoon" has a deeper industrial sound with edgy vocals that combine with cleans in the chorus. The clean guitars in the bridge are also a catchy sound. This might be my favorite. "Oblivion" is a more emotive song with vocals that have a longing quality to them. "Torn apart, like my heart" he croons, followed by "follow me into the night, follow me into oblivion." We also hear the first real Folk elements by way of recorder. "Secret" is a little shorter but still rings with a catchy sound. The main riff is hard edged, and the chorus is full, especially with backing vocals. "So Ist Das Leben" brings the album to a close. It's a sweet little closer with a pensive quality and lots of instrumentation, and begs you to sing along with the band.

I can hear the Industrial elements in the music quite easily, but not so much the Folk elements. Being in familiar with the band, I had no idea what to expect. Genre labels aside, this was just an enjoyable listening experience that was hard edged enough for most Metalheads, but also presented some rich melodies for the more tender hearted musician.