ALBUM REVIEW: OYKA! – Manntra

First conjured in beauty-clad Croatia, MANNTRA use native stories and legends to fuse together traditional slavish-folk with energy enhanced metal. With 3 albums already under their belt, MANNTRA decided to release their latest album OYKA! in English to ensure their anthem is heard by as many metal devotees as possible. Can the Croatian outfit push themselves into the spotlight with OYKA!, or does it fall by the wayside?

OYKA! reaches out and pulls you into the bygone pages of Croatian folklore. Like a furnace fuelled by angelic ORPHANED LAND style chants and raw folk infused heavy metal power it does well to grab your attention and immerse you with this slavish quintets stylish identity. Yelena layers admirable vocals in a way that retains the pristine melody of their folkish elements without letting the metal steal any thunder. Colossal energy creeps its way into the fray as Kroation puts more focus on the heavier side of MANNTRA while swiftly delving back into the chasms of folklore as Dance enkindles the roots of the bands lyrical influence.

In a genre literally bulging with talent it is difficult to stand out, however MANNTRA use choral clean vocals with memorable melody to great effect and ensure they are not so easily forgotten, just as punk-laced In The Shadows demonstrates. The enchanting Everlasting is a unique folk-power ballad that all too often is attempted and failed by other acts before Fire In The Sky introduces some tastily modern melodic traits without detracting from their identity. The band is clearly both fluent and passionate about their countries story as it protrudes vigorously through their music, they don’t let generic go-to riffs dilute what they are trying to craft and deliver their style with upmost enthusiasm.

Nevera is clearly the song every folk metal album has that forces you to dance like a court jester while the slightly comical Rakhia takes advantage of the discharge of energy, taking you to the dancefloor yet again. Again omitting the chant laden structure that ORPHANED LAND do so well, Sanjaj displays a catchy fusion of traditional vocal excellence with progressive yet in your face riff work. Even some of the best albums have weak spots and Murter is perhaps the culprit here, whether it’s the turgid vocals or the lack of bursting flavour that fills the rest of the album it doesn’t stand anywhere near as tall as the rest of the tracks. Finally, our Croatian loremasters finish off OYKA! with a live version of Yelena – a staunch reminder that MANNTRA transfer their energy, talent and unique identity onto the stage with seamless transition.

Whether it be the ORPHANED LAND style layered vocals or the interestingly unique traditional elements there’s something for every folk metal fan in this diverse yet enchanting album. There’s enough power and energy to keep it sounding fresh and the traditions, legends and folklore pulse proudly at the core of it all. By fusing together perfectly selected traits that compliment one another, OYKA! leaves a mark to ensure MANNTRA are not soon forgotten.

Rating: 8/10

OYKA! is out now via NoCut. 

Like MANNTRA on Facebook.