### Manngard: European cowards

#### 05/05/08 || Kampfar

Manngard translates to search party and is a really rather awesome name. And it isn’t one likely to be taken by others either, all the time Norwegian is one of the least spoken languages in the world. See, if you aren’t an uncreative imbecile it is still possible to get a name no band ever took, and that without writing a novel. Sure, search party sounds like utter suck in English but in Norwegian it sounds more metal than a pair of wrenches clinked together.

I won’t elaborate on the subject but “European cowards” is sure as fuck a fine title. This lot has a knack for naming, no doubt.

And with “EC” they have made a fine fucking album, too, especially for those of us who fancy thrash, death and (a bit of) black mixed together; or slightly progressive extreme metal if you like. I have to add, since I wrote progressive, that “EC” is of course not contaminated with the brain eating pretto virus. I would have died before wrapping up the intro if so where the case.

Yep, grimmer than ever.

What I like the least about “EC” is (some of) the thrash vocals, which at their worst subtracts from the music, watering it down for no good reason. Fuck that. Still, Olav Iversen, also courtesy of Sahg, has first and foremost a rather excellent set of pipes, ones capable doing many a variant of extreme vocals, and that more than just mere convincingly. In fact the main reason I did this mention is because his meekest form of vocals is what you’ll encounter first on this fine platter and I feared some of you would perhaps dismiss it from the get go if I hadn’t.

Yep, I always work out from a worst case scenario.

What I like most about “EC” is all of the drumming, Mr. Sandøy being a fucking powerhouse for sure, creative one at it. And I don’t think he used any triggers either, at least his performance sounds fucking natural to me. You know, all great tits aren’t injected with silicon and shit. Better yet, he never interferes with the music, not choking it with a Dream Theatre scarf, so to say.

But in the end it is the symbiosis of them here creative and rather playful fuckers which does the trick, as they aren’t going through any sort of motion for more than seconds at a time. Safe to say I’m very sure they had a great time recording, not that “EC” is in anyway funny, but you’ll hear what I mean. If not, well, in this instances you are the retard.

Congratulations.

I’ll end this review by saying the production is a joy to behear, custom-made for the band/album, and not some boring suit, like some jobs sure indeed sounds the equivalent of, fitted as an afterthought at best. This album is heavy when needed, always detailed and with the balance of a Buddhist monk.

8,5 metrosexual men out of 10 effortlessly murdered.

- Information
- Released: 2007
- Label: Nocturnal art productions
- Website: Manngard MySpace
- Band
- Olav Iversen: vocals
- Olav Kristiseter: guitar
- Einride Torvik: bass
- Iver Sandøy: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Pests in pools of stagnant water
- 02. Horrordementia
- 03. European cowards
- 04. Republic of Texas
- 05. Expulsion of the assailants Pt. 1: Implicit approval of your uninvited guests
- 06. Expulsion of the assailants Pt. 2: surgical removal of your evil thoughts
- 07. Divine justice
- 08. Evil reaping evil
- 09. Miasma
- 10. You smell of dust, are you alive?