To live to kill to live

"Stilen er progressiv power metal tilsat rigeligt med thrash metalinspiration, og man må sige, at Manticora mestrer genren; der er masser af detaljer at dykke ned i, og pladen fortjener flere gennemlytninger".

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"With all power metal guns blazing, Danish progressive five-piece Manticora make an impressive return with To Live to Kill to Live (ViciSolum Records), the second part of a conceptual project begun in 2018 with To Kill to Live to Kill (ViciSolum), and based on the novel of the same name written by multitasking frontman Lars F. Larsen ... Atmospheric, technical, catchy, and compelling, the guitar work of Kristian Larsen and Stefan Johansson is nothing short of superb, while the rhythm section of bassist Kasper Gram and now full-time member, drummer Lawrence Dinamarca is skilfully measured. Even with such a lengthy running time (the album comes in at well over an hour), there is always so much going on with To Live to Kill to Live that the time simply flies by".

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"One of the millennial power metal revival's wildcards and Danish thrashers turned progressive enthusiasts Manticora return with the second part of one of the darkest, most elaborate and aggressive conceptual endeavors ever to be associated with the sub-genre ... Ever since the twilight of the 1990s, at the apex of the original power metal explosion in Europe, yours truly often wondered if a band would create something compelling enough to rival Blind Guardian's "Nightfall On Middle Earth." The culmination of "To Live To Kill To Live" and its predecessor may well be that long awaited contender to the throne".

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"There are many bands setting new limits on what it means to play power metal, but Manticora stands apart as what might be the only group pushing the boundaries this hard after being in the game for so long. It's honestly kind of remarkable that they managed to make both their best and most ambitious record in one giant swing. At sixty-three minutes, To Live stands in direct defiance of both the law of diminishing returns and the forty-five minute rule. Considering the genre rules they bent along the way, perhaps the more rules they break going forward, the better".

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