On the most recent edition of Pulse of the Maggots with our hosts Jon Garcia and Cori Westbrook, Kläanhardt of extreme metal stalwarts Mantar discussed how the band's new album Pain Is Forever & This Is the End was an absolutely miserable journey to complete, and how it nearly destroyed the band.
Fueled by a combination of dedication and obsession, Kläanhardt spoke candidly detailing that while Mantar has always had success with songwriting smoothly, this go round was taxing and tedious. He would go onto explain how all of that strife ultimately ended up on the records, resulting in dark music for dark times.
Kläanhardt also spoke of his admiration of a well-written song, the kind of song that stands the test of time and has a memorable hook. Citing greats like "The Boys Are Back In Town" from Thin Lizzy, "Ace of Spades" from Motorhead and "Sharp-Dressed Man" by ZZ Top, the extreme music practitioner explained that he fews good songwriting as a currency, an artwork that is incredibly difficult to master. He went onto share how that is some times at odds with the scope of extreme metal. Kläanhardt pledged his love for extreme music, but shared that even in that space, he always looks for the song structure underneath the extremity to determine what appeals to him and what doesn't. There was also some love for Abba tossed in for good measure.
Going back to the significance of the album, Kläanhardt revealed how he usually has an album, and even song titles mapped out before writing the songs. On Pain Is Forever & This Is the End, he explains that it initially served as a cynical working title, but as the idea began materializing, the title made sense. Kläanhardt added that the aim for this album and every album Mantar has released was to make something different than it's predecessor - the idea of making an album out of habit is something that Kläanhardt has no interest in. He went on to compare Mantar to old Vikings that take their own lives when they can no longer fight - if Mantar doesn't have anything new to offer, they would cease to exist.
Stream the complete interview with Kläanhardt of Mantar via Pulse of the Maggots below.
Pain Is Forever and This Is the End is currently available via Metal Blade Records - HERE
