MANTICORA: The Black Circus Part 2

Cover	Release	Style
	2007-05-18	progressive power metal
	Label
	www.locomotivemusic.com / www.rockinc.nl
	Website
	www.manticora.dk
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	42:15	LM 449 CD
	Review by / Translated by	Rating
	Vera	8/10
nederlands	Review
Last year in August part one of this extended epos of the Danish band Manticora – a band with a soft spot for concept albums - was released. ‘The Black Circus Part 2 – Disclosure’ was simultaneously recorded at the Jailhouse Studio with producer Tommy Hansen, but the band entered the studio again after a European tour with Andromeda to finish and fine-tune part two. Once again they got help from Finn Zierler of Beyond Twilight and a number of guest musicians. This sixth studio album tells the continuing story of a travelling circus in the nineteenth century in New England, based on a work of H.P. Lovecraft. Lyrics are written as letters of the protagonist to a not further mentioned person. It is a horror story and dark music suits this theme. Though one may label this as power metal, Manticora gives its own interpretation to it by making the music rather dark and menacing, completed with thrash metal influences and the magniloquence of progressive rock. Add to this the extraordinary vocals of Lars Larsen and you end up with something quite unique. Lars is surely not a usual power metal vocalist, in the best moments (‘Gypsies Dance Pt. 2’) he reminds me of Roger Waters at the time of ‘The Wall’, later (in ‘All That Remain’ and ‘Of Madness In Its Purity’) it may be too highfaluting and forced for some people. In brief: be prepared for dramatic vocals. Once we are used to that, the black circus offers a lot to enjoy, especially instrumentally. You guess it well: huge parts of this album are instrumental. The interludes under the moniker ‘Interunic part whatever’ started on the previous album, now they are present once more. But do listen carefully to the exciting guitar/keyboard duel in ‘All That Remain’ or the long instrumental part in ‘Gypsies Dance Pt. 2’ which I consider anyway as the highlight of the album. Chopping riffs (there we have those thrash influences!) appear most of all in the chaotic ended ‘When The Soulreapers Cry’ and the over the top sung ‘Of Madness In Its Purity’, but let us not forget to enjoy the short intermezzos. Champion of them all is ‘Interunic VI’ featuring graceful violins. Manticora has a firm portion theatrical entertainment for sale. This is not just common power metal and as a reward they can do an extensive tour with King Diamond later on this year.
Musicians
Lars Larsen: vocals Kristian Larsen: guitars Martin Arendal: guitars Kasper Gram: bass Mads Volf: drums Guest musicians Jacob Hansen: vocals on track 9 Teddy Möller: growls on track 9 Finn Zierler: keyboard solo on track 5 Andreas Lindahl: keyboard leads and solos on track 3 and 8 Ronni Clasen: keyboards and leads on track 2 & 8
Tracklist
Entrance (0:34) Beauty Will Fade (7:30) Gypsies Dance Pt. 2 (8:27) Intunerie V (0:34) Haita Di Lupi (2:29) When The Soulreapers Cry (6:40) Intunerie VI (1:15) All That Remain (5:43) Intunerie VII (2:31) Of Madness In Its Purity (6:20)
Discography


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