MANNTRA RIDE INTO THE WILD HUNT. WILD HUNT OPENS ANOTHER DARK CHAPTER IN THEIR FOLK METAL WORLD

Croatian band MANNTRA once again open the gates to their distinctive musical world. Over the years the group has developed its own combination of metal, folk influences, electronic elements and a strongly cinematic atmosphere. Now they return with Wild Hunt, a record that continues their journey through a landscape where heavy guitars meet mythology, ritualistic moods and melodies rooted in European folklore.

The title Wild Hunt immediately evokes old European legends surrounding the Wild Hunt, a supernatural procession that, according to various traditions, appeared across the night sky and was associated with war, death, storms or approaching disaster. For MANNTRA it is a theme that fits naturally into their long standing fascination with dark stories, history and folklore.

The ability to connect modern metal with traditional elements has always been one of the band's most recognizable qualities. MANNTRA have never treated folklore merely as decoration. Folk melodies, rhythmic patterns, choirs and historical imagery blend naturally with massive guitars, electronic layers and choruses designed to carry enormous energy in a live setting.

Wild Hunt therefore represents another step in the development of a band that has gradually moved beyond any simple genre definition. Their music contains folk metal, industrial influences, modern metal and elements that could easily belong to the soundtrack of a dark historical film. This combination allows MANNTRA to create songs that work not only as individual compositions, but also as parts of a broader story and atmosphere.

At the center of the band remains Marko Matijević Sekul, whose distinctive voice is one of the most important trademarks of MANNTRA. His vocal performance can move between heavier passages and powerful melodic choruses, while the instrumental side relies on dense riffs, rhythmic motifs and layers that give the music an almost ritualistic character.

This new era arrives after a period in which MANNTRA significantly strengthened their position outside their native Croatia. The band regularly performs across Europe and has built a strong audience among fans of folk metal, industrial metal and modern heavy music. Each new record continues to expand the world that the group has been building around its music for years.

In the past, MANNTRA have shown that they are not afraid to combine massive metal passages with dance rhythms, electronic textures or traditional instrumentation. The result is a sound capable of moving within a single song from a heavy riff to an almost anthemic chorus and then into an atmospheric passage that feels like an ancient ritual.

The concept of the Wild Hunt offers enormous possibilities for this approach. Old European legends do not have one fixed form and change from region to region. A recurring element, however, is a terrifying procession of riders, spirits or supernatural beings racing across the landscape. Within the musical world of MANNTRA, such an image can easily become a powerful mixture of drums, guitars, choirs and dark melodic motifs.

Wild Hunt also confirms that MANNTRA have no intention of becoming a band that simply repeats one successful formula. Their discography shows a gradual expansion of their sound and an increasing emphasis on production, atmosphere and the connection between the music and its visual identity. This new chapter has every opportunity to continue that evolution.

For listeners across Europe, MANNTRA have become a recognizable name. Their combination of heaviness, folklore and powerful choruses naturally appeals to audiences looking for metal with a clear atmosphere and a strong narrative background. Wild Hunt has the potential to emphasize these qualities even further and deliver material with considerable power on the concert stage.

MANNTRA once again enter a space where the past meets the present and ancient legends are transformed into modern metal. The very title Wild Hunt promises a journey into a darker world filled with movement, unease and mythological imagery. It is exactly this kind of environment in which the Croatian band has always moved with complete confidence.

The new MANNTRA album Wild Hunt will be released on December 25, 2026 via Napalm Records. Musically, the record combines crushing metal riffs and modern industrial elements with traditional Balkan and Slavic melodies, folk instrumentation and ritualistic vocals, creating a dark, atmospheric and distinctly recognizable sound.