MANTICORA - To Live To Kill To Live
Danish band Manticora have been around since 1996 and can be considered as stalwarts of the international metal scene. In that time they have released nine albums, all of them on a high level. Their newest CD To Live To Kill To Live might cause confusion as its predecessor two years ago was titled To Kill To Live To Kill. It’s therefore not a surprise that just like their two great Black Circus albums, we are again in the presence of a concept spanning two albums. This time it’s about a novella written by their vocalist Lars Larsen.
The album starts unusually with its opener Katana, a nearly quarter hour-long track that offers a great mix of power and progressive metal, a little as if Psychotic Waltz were jamming with Helloween, with some surprising speed metal parts and a rousing brutal ending. Next up is the short instrumental To Nanjing which in accordance with its title sounds somewhat Asian. More highlights follow with The Farmer’s Tale – Part 3, reminding of Psychotic Waltz and Fates Warning and pre-released as a first single, and the incredibly fast and captivating Slaughter In The Desert Room, a wonderful duet with South Korean vocalist June Dark. There is also room for slower paced material, which also works well for instance on Through The Eyes Of The Killer, the quietest track on the album, although not exactly a ballad, and reminding me a little of Nevermore.
All in all To Live To Kill To Live convinced with its elevated pace and truly demanding skills, and especially the concluding Katana – Beheaded is yet another great exercise in power metal that comes with everything the refined prog metal fan is looking for.
I have appreciated Manticora for as long as I’ve known them, and To Live To Kill To Live turns out to a late milestone in their twenty-five year career. The band doesn’t care about trends and just plays the kind of music they really want to. Every time I listen to this album, I discover new details that I missed the time before. Manticora may very well have recorded already the best metal album of the year.