UMUR "Darkness With Tales to Tell" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Danish power metal act Manticora. The album was released through Scarlet Records in May 2001. It´s the successor to "Roots of Eternity" from 1999 and features the exact same sextet lineup who recorded the debut album.

Stylistically the material on "Darkness With Tales to Tell" are also a continuation of the power metal of "Roots of Eternity" (1999). It´s all just more well written, more memorable, and even more well performed. A step up from the debut album in all departments. The music style is a combination of heavier US power (sometimes even thrashy) elements, neo-classicial influenced Euro power metal elements, and a touch of progressive metal. Manticora are an incredibly well playing unit and all involved are skilled performers. Lead vocalist Lars Larsen has a voice and singing style that are probably aquired tastes though, and that part of the music will be a deal breaker for some. He is a skilled performer with a relatively unique singing style, but sometimes it feels like he sings in the same range too much and that his melody lines resemble each other on the different songs. The latter of course helps once you listen to the album more, but the former continues to be a slight issue. He is not a rough sounding US power metal vocalist, and he is not a high pitched melodic sounding Euro power metal vocalist either. Instead his singing style is a desperate higher than mid-range vocal style, which is actually rather unique.

The instrumental part of the music is centered around the guitar work of Kristian Larsen and Flemming Shultz, who deliver great hard edged riffs, loads of harmonies, and blistering melodic guitar solos. The rhythm section deliver a powerful, relatively varied, and pounding rhythmic assault, while keyboard player Jeppe Eg Jensen adds both backing, leads, and harmonies to the music. "Darkness With Tales to Tell" also features a powerful, clear sounding, and detailed production, which helps the material shine. Upon conclusion it´s a high quality sophomore album by Manticora, cementing their core musical style and the high quality of their songwriting and performances. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Roots of Eternity" is the debut full-length studio album by Danish power metal act Manticora. The album was released through Black Lotus Records in August 1999. It follows up the release of the "Dead End Solution" EP from 1997, which was originally released under the Manticore monicker, but is still considered Manticora´s first release. Forming in 1996 under the Manticore monicker the band changed their name to the current one in 1997.

Stylistically the material on "Roots of Eternity" continue the dark and heavy take on Euro power metal that Manticora initiated on "Dead End Solution (1997)". The songwriting and the performances are a notch up in quality from the EP, which is also what I expected and the same can be said about the sound production, which is more professional and powerful than the sound production on the EP. When that is said Manticora haven´t taken a quantum leap on "Roots of Eternity". The addition of keyboard player Jeppe Eg Jensen brings more focus on that instrument, but the music is still predominantly centered around the heavy guiar riffs and melodic themes of guitarists Kristian Larsen and Flemming Shultz (also new in the lineup since the EP).

Lead vocalist Lars Larsen predominantly sings in mid-range, and that´s a good choice because he still sounds a little strained when he hits the high notes, and although he is a skilled enough singer, his voice and vocal style don´t bring that icing on the cake element that the best singers bring to music. The instrumental performances are strong, but there´s little here anyone would think of as unique or original. This is just good solid quality Euro power metal in the heavy end of the scale, with the occasional progressive element thrown in for variation. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Dead End Solution" is an EP release by Danish power metal act Manticora. The EP was independently released in October 1997. Manticora formed in 1996 under the Manticore monicker but changed name to the current one in 1997. "Dead End Solution" was originally released under the Manticore monicker, but it is seen as the first release by Manticora and subsequent re-issues of the EP have been under the Manticora monicker.

Stylistically the material on the 5 track, 24:38 minutes long EP is energetic, powerful, and melodic power/heavy metal with a predominantly mid-range lead vocalist in front. He can sing in higher pitches but honestly he sounds a little strained when he does. The instrumental part of the music is very well played, but the vocals aren´t that great in this release. It has something to do with the vocal production too, so it´s not necessarily because lead vocalist/guitarist Lars Larsen isn´t a skilled singer, but on this release the vocals are definitely the weak link.

While "Dead End Solution" is a power metal release, it´s in the harder edged end of the scale with influences from both traditional heavy metal and even occasionally thrash and speed metal. As mentioned above the vocal production isn´t that well sounding, but other than that, "Dead End Solution" is a fairly well produced release. A little rough around the edges, but decent enough in terms of production values. Upon conclusion it´s a promising start to a career, but I´m not blown away by what I hear on this EP. Still a 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating isn´t all wrong.

Warthur Manticora's 8 Deadly Sins is part of that weird metal subgenre of "hospital bed concept albums" - you know, the sort where the protagonist spends the entire piece lying in a hospital bed injured or comatose or dying or all three and wander about in their memories. Queensryche might be the originators, Ayreon have done it too, and I'm pretty sure there's other examples I'm forgetting.

Anyway, our protagonist this time around seems to have lived a pretty mean life, because he's contemplating his sins - and given that at least one of the songs is overtly themed around the Holocaust, they seem to be pretty harsh ones at that. Like a great many rock operas, the lyrics end up so vague that you're more or less tasked with working out the story for yourself, but it's not really necessary to enjoy the album, which is an enjoyable slice of dark, angsty power metal.

Power metal isn't typically the metal subgenre you think of when it comes to expressing guilt and angst, but Manticora manage to pull it off, eschewing the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy and cheesy optimism of much power metal to produce an album where, even though I don't understand the story very well, nonetheless has a haunting atmosphere that makes it worth a try, even if you aren't usually a power metal listener. I don't think it's quite on the level of the very capable Safe, but it's good enough in its own way.

Warthur MMA Reviewer's Challenge: Album selected by DippoMagoo.

Manticora's Safe is perhaps the heaviest, scariest thing I’ve ever heard which can still call itself power metal, with excellent opener In the Abyss of Desperation introducing the listener both to the band’s crushing, galloping riffs, mild symphonic touches to spice things up, and the unique vocal style of lead vocalist Lars Larsen, which manages to sound simultaneously powerfully operatic and weirdly fragile, like it could give out at any moment.

I particularly like the fact that the band really show an appreciation of the speed metal roots of power metal and bring that influence out to play in their work. Looking at the track lengths you may - not incorrectly - expect the band to indulge in some prog-influenced long-form song structures. (There’s a sort of Wagnerian chant bit partway into the title track that really gets the goosebumps rising.) But don’t be fooled; this is a rough, tough album which will smash you over the head with the band’s wild compositions.

Though I think the album slumps in a little, overall this is a solid release which prompts me to look deeper into Manticora's discograpy. If this is “Safe”, I’d tremble to hear what Manticora think constitutes “Danger”!