Mandy Manala - Mandy Manala

 

 

Mandy Manala - Mandy Manala
Argonauta Records / Octopus Rising – 2025
Rock, Hard, Stoner, Metal
Rated: *****

From violet to mauve, with a faint splatter of scarlet running through, like that earliest of sunrises on the longest day of the year. There is something absolutely special about this new star that is about to appear. Lead by the wonderful vocalist Christa Nedergård, they are called Mandy Manala and will be releasing their debut self-titled album via Argonauta Records / Octopus Rising on May 23rd. There is magic in everything that Mandy Manala does. They’ve taken the vintage and retro vibes and added so much modern power to it that it becomes this high energy, high flying ever forward propellant. With members of ELD, Lords of Chernobyl, Rock Fuel and MotörCünt, this might seem logical, since they all had that fuel, nuclear or otherwise and motoring momentum. Even the space punk of ELD is a grounded and ever forward affair. Mandy Manala takes it up a notch, shoving movement in every nook and cranny of their creation and in doing so creating something that might turn into a movement itself. For with this debut album they’ve seemed to already have captured that essence of rock ‘n roll; they’ve created their own world. And that world is something other people will probably and hopefully are relieved and pleased to be a part of. For nine tracks and forty-seven minutes long the Ostrobothnia, Finland born five piece drags you, pulls you, shoves you and directs you towards a glorious state of euphoria. Stillborn reverbs its way into that starting riff, and with the addition of the drums becomes this monstrous trucker, electrifying and still carrying a bit of mystique that seems to drift along many of the tracks. In part thanks to the vocals of Christa Nedergård, the way she lets them hang and surge like an ocean. You can hear there is power there, but she refrains from using them immediately. But there are definite options for grandiose gestures, opera-like even, gothic in its sensibilities. On that follow up track, From Whence You Came it sees her going full force. A sweet rocking scoot boogie that implores so much from the seventies and yet sounds completely from this time. More power in the vocals, more power in the riffage. But more power, massive bass work and delicious drum is to follow with The Machine. Thundering and stomping, sweating and swaying, a metal roll that keeps on rolling, but sounds softer to the ears, thanks once again to those magnificent vocals. That opt for confessional and catchy when Black Sheep rolls around, highly dynamic, tasty bridges, soaring choruses, and a minor touch up by those male second vocals. Hit potential written al over it. As does following May Queen, out as single and video. It is another dynamic and riveting track, alluring and enticing, whisking you away on a trip through the ages. Metal, hardrock and some minor gothic atmosphere, a great solo full stop in service of the track, takes this track to a higher kind of level. Four more tracks follow, with closing nine minute long battleship, When We Rode Out To War. Overture opening, continues rolling, displaying all of their storytelling strengths, constantly building, but showing restraint and not exploding our showing us the actual war, and only becoming that marauding cavalry galloping of to war… Are you ready for it? For Mandy Manala?

And we are absolutely honored to bring you all the FULL ALBUM PREMIERE for Mandy Manala - Mandy Manala on Wednesday the 21st of May! Two days before it releases on Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records. Check out the video below or the three singles out on bandcamp and visit Stoner HiVe on Wednesday the 21st of May for the FULL Mandy Manala ALBUM!

(Written by JK)

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