Review: “Blood Moon Sacrifice” by Margantha

“We always begin with the concept. The music follows naturally, often starting with a guitar riff or arpeggio, and evolving through a collaborative process. We’re not interested in technical exhibitionism. Every choice serves the narrative. The resulting material is raw, evocative, and direct—true to the spirit of black metal, but enriched with depth and atmosphere.” ~ Margantha

Drawing inspiration from art in all its forms: from the literature of Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley and Stevenson, to the paintings of Caravaggio, Bosch and Turner, Margantha are an anonymous force hailing from Finland and Italy who want us to focus on what they do and not who they are. Appearing to take influences from the likes of Venom, Behemoth and Gaerea the trio claim a fusion of ancestral myth and modern raw Black Metal as their sound, removing names, past projects, and expectations to let the music speak for itself. Mixed and mastered by King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque (At The Gates, Kill Ritual, Evergrey) at Sonic Train Studio, their debut EP is a concept work, based on a legend passed down orally through generations. The tale, told to the vocalist as a child by his grandmother, tells of a werewolf haunting a hunter’s village at the foot of a remote mountain range.

Soaked in the blood of Scandinavian Black Metal purveyors from the past “Blood Moon Sacrifice” combines atmospheric synths with fierce vocals in brutally majestic story telling. The drums gallop like a horse ridden by the Grim Reaper himself through the valley of death as the Black Metal riffs rise like the tide of blood shed from his scythe. It becomes obvious with the resplendor of the cryptic writings that these musicians, whoever they maybe have a wealth of experience in the world of Extreme Metal and if not can easily turn their calloused hands to it. “Wolves at the Door” continues the lyrical narrative, telling the story of a lone werewolf preying on an isolated village in the mountains to sedate a bloodlust. Somehow the vocals on this one manage to combine the roles of predator and prey, their intertwining nature a crowning glory in the confines of the track. Haunting synths once again lurk in the background of the soundscape, largely drowned out by the sinister and menacing guitar work, each vicious bite from the vocals as nasty as the one that preceded it. What’s great about this record is while it’s new, its got a classic old school quality to it and could have been released at any point in the past twenty five years or more. That gives it the feel of the leather bound book from which the tales are told, one which you have to blow the dust off before you settle into by candle light with a glass of single malt.

It seems only natural on a beast of this nature that Andy LaRoque would get his hands dirty and lend a guitar solo, which he does on “Miriam and the Endless Night“. Once again spellbinding from the very first note, the savage vocals almost seem at odds with the dark and sinister nature of the music, the drums pounding thunderously as the guitars send a chill down the spine. You can spot a LaRoque solo a mile away and it almost goes without saying that this one is utterly majestic, adding a spice that’s nice and an additional layer of quality to a track that has every other element nailed. At almost seven and a half minutes “Curse of the Full Moon” is a track from which you expect dark and brooding atmospherics and that expectation is met with full force. A churning, burning tale told in caustic fashion, its one from which the bands influences bleed. The drum sound is immense, the thunderous floor toms and cymbal crashes almost making the track sound like its being played out during a violent storm. Howling windows finish the cut on a eerie final note… and subtly suggests there is more to come [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Blood Moon Sacrifice
2. Wolves at the Door
3. Miriam and the Endless Night (ft. Andy LaRoque of King Diamond)
4. Curse of the Full Moon

“Blood Moon Sacrifice” by Margantha is out 27th June 2025 via Rockshots Records