The Black Circus Part 2 - Disclosure

By the time the 2-part “Black Circus” saga appeared, Manticora had already managed to establish themselves on the forefront of the Danish metal scene, making company to the veterans Pretty Maids the latter leading the show over there after King Diamond and Co. relocated to the States. They were waving down at both younger and older practitioners from their homeland, ones they had managed to sideline during their ascension through the years, like Artillery, Pyramaze, Anubis Gate, etc., and felt that the time was right for something more ambitious, something more magnanimous with which to celebrate their 10th anniversary.

Founded by Kristian (guitar) and Lars (vocals) Larsen (not brothers) after their exit from the heavy/thrashers Fear Itself, the band quickly accumulated inertia thanks to expertly executed progressive power/speed/thrash affairs, the symbiosis recalling early Blind Guardian, but performed with more verve and a more meticulous eye for complex details, with a striking resemblance between the two acts in the vocal department, Lars Larsen’s soaring, attached clean vocals nearly identical at times to the ones of Hansi Kursch. After the release of the excellent “8 Deadly Sins” the guys were pretty much indomitable their encompassing approach recruiting legions of fans for their cause.

Bigger ambition, with a lot of common theme-bound material released within a short span of time, can be a double-edged sword, sometimes paying off handsomely (Therion (“Lemuria”, “Sirius B”), sometimes producing overblown, somewhat confusing results (Blut Aus Nord/the “777…” trilogy). In this particular case the final outcome clings more towards the former as Larsen and Co. have pulled it off largely cause they have stuck to their staple style without embellishing it too much. The first part didn’t beat the band’s previous exploits but was a relatively strong showing which suffered from the “really impressive opener” syndrome as the title-track was a smashing unforgettable introduction overshadowing the remainder by a healthy notch. The overindulgence in quiet intros/interludes/outros could be considered another unmitigated pullback, the guys taking their time on those, some of them lasting beyond the momentary sparkle of serenity.

The album reviewed here is the superior achievement of the two, and not only because the mentioned quietudes have been decreased slightly. The compositions are longer and more complexly woven giving the guys a chance to display their bigger musical dexterity. Another grand opening awaits the listener, "Beauty Will Fade", a rousing bombastic speed/thrasher, but the guys take it easy in the complexity department thus leaving numerous elements of surprise scattered around the rest of the material. The good piece of news is that the aggressive veneer of this first cut remains the leitmotif even on heavy progressive behemoths like "Gypsies' Dance Part 2" (part one was featured on the first “Circus”) with thrash leading the show for a large portion of the time, successfully co-existing with alluring Oriental etudes on the excellent instrumental piece “"Haita Di Lupi". Both the lead guitarist and the bass player keep themselves fairly busy throughout creating quite a few moments for the listener to appraise them, the former stealing the show on "All That Remain", an epic multi-layered speedster that would make Blind Guardian green with envy. The superb combination of intricacy and infernal speedy crescendos on "When the Soulreapers Cry” brings echoes of both Paradox and Hellfire, the closing "Of Madness in Its Purity" matching the opener every bit of the way, a standout speed/thrasher with enchanting melodic configurations teasing the listener on the several more laid-back passages.

In the fairly long run both opuses complement each other, the first part containing the marginally more immediate, bouncier material, and the second one elaborating on the formula thus coming closer to the band’s earlier exploits. It doesn’t quite beat masterpieces like the mentioned “8 Deadly Sins” and “Hyperion”, not to mention the extraordinary follow-up “Safe”, but it by all means ensures this ambitious undertaking’s place on the forefront of the conceptual works’ directory. The increased presence of more aggressive thrash-fixated configurations may lightly unnerve the band’s older fanbase, but at the same time it would truly impress the casual passer-by who may wonder at the inordinate amount of elaborate decisions the guys can extract from such a hyper-active, plain uncompromising at times, delivery.

With those loftier strives out of the way, the band may start thinking of unwinding a little bit with something more stripped-down although “Safe” did contain a mighty gigantic composition (the 14-min title-track) and didn’t really let any steam off complexity-wise. Judging by the titles of the tracks on the oncoming new instalment (“To Kill to Live to Kill”, scheduled to hit the stores in August), the guys are intent on bringing on more conceptual pieces of art. The circus… sorry, circle keeps spinning… at a not very predictable, ever-expanding pace.

Manticora is quite the interesting band. It is a power metal band, formed in Denmark in 1996, and while they haven't exactly gained the popularity of some of their power metal brethren they've still soldiered on, releasing six albums in eleven years. But just what makes their sound so interesting? Could it be their unique take on an over saturated genre? Possibly. Their incorporating of influences such as Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, and Blind Guardian without sounding directly related to them? I suppose one could make a case for that. But I think what draws me to the band the most is their lyrical content. Both of their two latest albums, The Black Circus Parts 1 (Letters) and 2 (Disclosure) are concept albums revolving around a mysterious travelling in the 19th century. I won't dwell too much on the concept right now, but I will say that it provides a haunting edge to the album. Overall, The Black Circus Part 1 is probably a more solid offering than Part 2, but Disclosure is still a solid album regardless.

Like I mentioned earlier, Manticora plays a very distinct, unique style of power metal. Similarly to the lyrics and the album art, the album is quite dark and eerie. This dark atmosphere can be attributed to several elements of the bands sound. Perhaps the trait which most directly reflects this mood is the style of riffing which makes up a majority of the tracks. Guitarists Kristian Larsen and Martin Arendal often incorporate a heavy, thrash style of riffing into Manticora's tunes. They aren't necessarily the most impressive riffs you'll ever hear; they won't steal the spotlight, grind your face in, or send you into spastic bouts of headbanging, but they do get the job done and provide the song in question with a solid rhythm to build the track around. The likes of All That Remain and Gypsies Dance Pt. 2 are two of the strongest tracks when it comes to the riffs, as they set the pace of the track early on and manage to hold the listener's interest throughout the song's respective runtimes. Of course, the band does not solely make us of thrashy rhythms. Manticora's progressive influences shine through in songs such as Gypsies Dance Pt. 2 and Beauty Will Fade, two tracks which contain several time changes, lengthy solos and technical performances. Those who enjoy aggressive power metal or thrash should readily enjoy Manticora's latest offering, as it is quite infectious and interesting.

Another aspect of The Black Circus 2 which adds to the dark, brooding sound is the vocal efforts of frontman Lars Larsen. Similarly to the likes of former Iced Earth vocalist Matt Barlow and Falconer frontman Matthias Blad, Lars is not your typical power metal vocalist. Rather than making use of a high falsetto throughout the 42 minute record, Larsen sings in a much lower range. Much like the album's riffs, Lars' contribution has a deeper sound to it. He can hit the mid to higher range songs at times, as All That Remain shows, but for the most part he sings in his deeper tone, which fits the music better anyways. Truth be told I personally do not like his style of singing, especially in the chorus of Gypsies Dance Pt. 2, but throughout the album Lars proves that he has the ability to front the band at a high level.

And finally, there's the concept behind the album. Don't let me raise your hopes too high, as The Black Circus' lyrical content is not some extraordinary masterpiece. No, a piece of inevitably classic literature this is not. But it is still quite an interesting tale. Like I mentioned earlier, The Black Circus Pt. 2 tells of a travelling circus in the 19th century. Like the album's title should imply, the circus in this story is not your average circus, and throughout the about half dozen tracks with lyrics, the peril which surround those who come into contact with it. The lyrics of songs like "Burning, destroying and with a violent gust / All that remains are ashes and dust" (All That Remain) or "All the sounds have faded, everyone holds their breath / Suddenly aware of the heavy smell of death" (When the Soulreapers Cry) paint a very powerful picture in the listeners mind, and depict the horrors of the concept hauntingly well. The lyrics are complimented by the music extremely well, and for this reason The Black Circus Pt 2 is definitely an interesting album to listen to.

Overall, Manticora's latest album is a very worthwhile album. Combining power metal with thrash and progressive influences, the Danish band seem to have found an infectious formula which is both enjoyable and interesting. Songs like All That Remain and Of Madness in its Purity and Gypsies Dance Pt. 2 display both the song writing and the musical skill of the band quite well and are all (especially All That Remain) quite fun to listen to. As most of the full length tracks exceed six minutes, a few of them could stand to be a little shorter (especially When the Soulreapers Cry), but for the most part much of Manticora's sixth release flows exceedingly well. Those who enjoyed the band's previous record will likely enjoy this album as it does not exactly change up the band's style of playing, but manages to make it sound fresh and new all the same. Pick this up if you have the chance.

(Originally written for Sputnikmusic)