Maentra - Kundalini Rising

Share this on Facebook | Share this on Twitter

Metal maniacs, rejoice! I am proud to present to you: MAENTRA; independently unsigned, hailing from the United States of America - performing “Grindustrial” (in their own words), on their debut full-length album entitled: “Kundalini Rising” (released February 18th, 2022). Since formation in 2017; the trio in question have only this here debut full-length album in their discography so far entitled: “Kundalini Rising”, 7 tracks ranging at around 33:31; MAENTRA arrange an intricately designed formula on some heavy-hitting “Grindustrial” developments.

Opening up with this synthesized ritual; “Muladhara” starts off the record with this blistering barrage frenzy on rampantly rompy mayhem, bulldozing eardrums into a grinding berserker with sulfurous yet wildly rushing pandemonium. Nothing but clobbering bestiality batters speakers with monsterously meaty manifestations of rumbling reverberation, quaking thuds & sturdy tightness while punchy weight ramifies with ruthless slabs of solid revs that slay with killer momentum mobility. “Svadhisthana” unleashes more boisterously bouncy snarls that scour with relentless smacks from consisting but audible bassist Paul Ryan (also on vocals), flickering his axe with thumpy maelstrom substance & organic perseverance - he also grunts with raspy throatiness while shouting with yelling authority amongst a guttural growl of roaring malice. Adam Houmam on drums also slams the set with steely yet profusely robust precision, belting fury stomps out rambunctious yet piledriving momentum where volatile & monolithic tempos rage on with stampeding stability.

Synergized with vibrantly potent archetypes in electronic but archaic synthwork; Rudy Pina (also on vocals/guitars) distributes this visceral melody on rapidly swift nimbleness, while this savage shroud of dynamically bulldozing bludgeoning dexterously experiments with viciously hybrid elements in concretely gritty gnarliness and distorted laceration. “Manipura” executes an amplified adrenaline on volatile chaos, inducing a chiseling flair on havoc-driven contortion, while “Anahata” attributes with more extreme grime and filthy thickness. Where sonically seamless technicalities persist with progressively trailblazing finesse, amongst a fierce firepower expertise that will make you want to break chairs over other chairs in a strident strife of swerving malevolence - while making good use of those atmospheric forges of ambient harmonies also.

“Vishuddha” more trembling panache outres with salubrious uproar & surging vehemence, utilizing versatile hardiness in an intensely immense fabrication of radically wicked yet flexible fundamental crunchiness for good measure. Where this alarming density crafts a creative conundrum in spectral tones of piercing bombast and flamboyant furore, until the penultimate banger “Anja” bruises eardrums with more primitively raw subjugation tactics that methodically smother speakers with massive grumblings amongst a groveling but arbitrary crescendo that towers with outrageous tremolo patterns to boot. As “Sahasrara” overall concludes “Kundalini Rising” with more majestic yet ominously jarring blitzkrieg, an epic album of ferocious flow that revocates with groundbreaking hysteria and a borderline foundation on punchline madness that will unleash your maniacal, diabolica insanity in no time. …you have been warned though, near the end a mass noise of increasing and magnifying volume soon wastes over a minute of your time… should you fancy damaging your poor eardrums, hearing this until it finishes is a little… bizarre however, it’s basically what an amplifier sounds like in a live setting once left unattended should you have never experienced this before.

Bottom line; a record worthy of spinning & replaying a good few times, this is an enjoyably entertaining discovery that’s surely worth noting - definitely a listen that will pump up your day, do check it out.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 7
Production: 8