Chicago, Illinois nihilistic doom/noise metal band LORD MANTIS, over the years, have been making a name for themselves within the underground metal scene and slowly being recognized as one of Chicago?s most noteworthy metal bands alongside such bands as Indian, Nachtmystium, The Atlas Moth, Yakuza etc. Their last album, "Pervertor" (which was released by Candlelight Records in 2012) would bring LORD MANTIS new levels of recognition and awareness to a wider audience which they build upon following their "Spawning The Nephilim" debut (which was released by Seventh Rule in 2009 respectively). With "Pervertor", LORD MANTIS excelled beyond their debut album and even already having a reputation of putting on quite the devastating live show likewise.
With "Death Mask", LORD MANTIS (who feature members who are involved and active in notable bands as Indian, Avichi, and Abigail Williams, and feature members who were once part of Nachtmystium at one point and being in-and-out of that band on several occasions) have made their most triumphant and glorious album to date. The masterpiece they?ve been threatening to make since inception.
Overall "Death Mask" (which also features guest appearances from the band?s honorary members, namely guest vocals courtesy of Indian?s Dylan O?Toole on the track "Negative Birth" and synth work from Sanford Parker, who also recorded and mixed "Death Mask" at the famed Electrical Audio and Soma studios in Chicago) is a much darker, doomier, and more experimental offering than anything the band have previously done. A haunting and despondent, yet punishing and violent audial soundtrack to depravity, despair, and personal suffering, "Death Mask" will bring recognition to LORD MANTIS even more within doom/black/noise metal circles and will bring new found recognition to the band as one of the more distinct and most twisted and demented underground metal bands from America today.
