Die Pumpe, Kiel, Germany3rd June 2022
Mono Inc. - “The Book of Fire Tour” 2022 - Support: Manntra
On this evening the audience was mainly in their mid-forties. Nearly all of them were clothed completely in MONO INC. merch, partly washed out, as they apparently were fans of the group for a long time. It was the first time I’ve ever witnessed a stage ditch in this location.
Manntra
The quartet from Croatia was founded in 2011. They sing in both Croatian and English, with English now prevailing. The current line-up consists of Marko M. Sekul (lead vocals), Andrea Kert (drums), Zoltan Lecei (bass and backing vocals) and Dorian “Dodo” Pavlović (guitar and backing vocals). In 2021 MANNTRA released their most recent album ‘Monster Mind Consuming’ and five singles. https://manntra.hr/
Music & Performance
To be honest, I’ve never heard MANNTRA before. Nevertheless, they already caught me during the Pagan intro to ‘Heathens’. Fancy face paint, pagan sounds and a ritual appearance have always worked so far. The lead singer, for the time being covered with hood and mask, welcomes the audience in astonishingly good German. The energetic quartet celebrated only nine songs this evening, but they did so with a passion that should have captivated even the last one in the audience.
The martial appearance might be less appealing to some listeners, but in my opinion, it is the perfect stylistic element for MANNTRA’s Folk Metal. Even though they are still relatively new, they definitely have the potential to stay with us for a while. ‘Heathens’ and ‘Ori Ori’ left me with two strong earworms that I still couldn’t get rid of days after the concert.
Setlist
01. Invocation/Heathens
02. Yelena
03. Ori Ori
04. Barren King
05. Intro + Shadows
06. Not Guilty
07. Slave
08. Everlasting
09. Nightmare
Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 9
Light: 4
Sound: 9
Total: 8 / 10
Mono Inc.
MONO INC. was founded in 2000 in Hamburg, Germany. The name is derived from the term monomania (mental illness) and the word incorporated. The current line-up consists of founding members Martin Engler (vocals) and Carl Fornia (vocals, guitar), who are currently playing with Katha Mia (drums, vocals) and Val Perun (bass, vocals). The current album ‘The Book of Fire’ was released in 2020, three new singles followed in 2021, including a new version of the gothic hymn ‘Children of the Dark’. https://mono-inc.com/
Music & Performance
During the break the pyrotechnics were precisely aligned by specialists, which further increased the audience’s excitement. As the intro of the first song began, only the drummer was illuminated. A pair of raven wings had been installed, which looked like they’d grown right out of her back. They slowly began to beat behind her. Despite the extremely small location with low ceilings, ‘The Book of Fire’ was brightened by fireballs. MONO INC.'s lighting technicians really know their job. Their whole performance was perfectly lit and perfectly synchronised.
After MANNTRA’s energetic performance, MONO INC. seems almost powerless because there was so little movement on stage. I personally really liked the contrast and the clear separation of both bands. The wild and uninhibited power of MANNTRA versus the dark and partly melancholic gothic sounds of MONO INC. could almost be taken as an antithesis and give the evening a special touch.
Setlist
01. Louder Than Hell
02. The Book Of Fire
03. Funeral Song
04. Symphony Of Pain
05. Gothic Queen
06. The Banks Of Eden
07. Boatman
08. Arabia
09. Where The Raven Flies
10. An Klaren Tagen
11. Drum Battle
12. Get Some Sleep
13. After The War
14. Welcome To Hell
15. Voices Of Doom
16. Kein Weg Zu Weit
17. Children Of The Dark
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Light: 10
Sound: 9
Total: 8.8 / 10
All Pictures by Lilly Wand
Comments powered by CComment