Margantha Interview

 

1. .For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? 

Margantha is an Italian-Finnish band formed by three musicians united by a passion for black metal and horror aesthetics. The project aims to create a powerful, evocative, and dramatic sound, drawing inspiration from bands like Mgła, Ensiferum, Behemoth, and 1349, while also incorporating atmospheric and melodic elements.

Our sound is a haunting and captivating tribute to black metal, enriched with lyrics inspired by horror and 19th-century Gothic atmospheres. Our music is a journey into the darkest and most mysterious corners of the human soul, marked by gloomy tones and lyrics that explore the macabre and the supernatural.

Margantha draws inspiration from all forms of art: from the literature of Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, and Stevenson to the paintings of Caravaggio, Bosch, and Turner.

2. You have an ep coming out in June, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

We aim to play black metal that reflects all of our musical influences. The result is a very organic work, with death metal elements, as well as touches of atmospheric and melodic black. We come from the old-school metal scene and love albums like Abigail, Operation: Mindcrime, and South of Heaven. Among today’s bands, we really admire 1349, Mgła, Order of Nosferat, Behemoth, Necrophobic, and many others.

For the recording, we worked completely in DI, using software and plugins (in the box), and then sent everything to Andy La Rocque’s studio.

3. A lot of your lyrics cover horror themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic? 

Our passion for horror started during our teenage years, alongside our discovery of metal music. It all began with books like IT by Stephen King and films by John Carpenter, and then moved on to more classic reads like Dracula and Frankenstein. Over time, we gradually expanded into the broader Gothic and horror world. Some of us even became interested in esotericism.

Horror is a fundamental part of our lives and of the band’s identity. Maybe it’s something deeply rooted in metal culture itself — who knows. We feel that our music naturally fits with horror stories and themes. For instance, in Blood, Moon, Sacrifice, we tell a legend that the guitarist’s grandmother used to recount to scare him: the story of a werewolf haunting a small village at the foot of a mountain.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Maggantha'?

 

Margantha is a monster created by our guitarist’s grandmother to scare him when he misbehaved. She would say: “If you’re not good, Margantha will come and devour you.” He suggested the name to us and we all immediately liked it. So the name of the band comes from a fictional monster or demon born out of a family tale.

5.  Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?

The cover is a sort of tribute to one of our favorite albums, Abigail by King Diamond. It was created using artificial intelligence. We want to make it clear that we’ve previously worked with photographers, illustrators, and graphic designers, but for this specific project, we wanted to experiment.

Unfortunately, the experiment wasn’t well received: the YouTube channel Black Metal Promotion did some gatekeeping and refused to publish our release. In our view, that was absurd, ridiculous, and unprofessional — especially in 2025 — and it penalized all the people who contributed to the project.

6.Do band members live in both Finland and Italy, what impact does this have on the musical sound?

 

It’s definitely unusual to have a band with members living far apart, but we stay in constant contact through WhatsApp and other messaging platforms. We read reviews, make video calls, and there’s a great sense of harmony among us. Nowadays, distance isn’t a real issue — you just book a flight, meet up, and make it happen.

7. Are there any plans for any live shows 

Not at the moment, at least not in the near future. We’ll probably need to bring in some session musicians for live performances, since we’re just a three-piece. That said, we’re hoping to play a few shows in early 2026, and we’re open to any opportunity or agency that wants to help promote us live.

8.The ep is going to be released on 'Rockshots Records', can you tell us a little bit more about how you got in contact with tis label?

 

Our guitarist had previously worked with Rockshots Records in two different bands, one of which is currently enjoying some success in Europe. He spoke highly of the label, so we sent them a very raw, unmixed demo. Their reply was: “Not bad, let’s talk.”

We had two other labels interested as well, but we chose Rockshots because we felt they were best suited to handle promotion in the way we envisioned.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

We don’t have a lot of data yet to evaluate the response. Our personal impression is that there’s interest, but also some skepticism — and that’s totally fair. No one knows us yet, and we’re just one of many new bands out there. But we’re optimistic, and time will tell how things develop.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

 

 

We’re definitely planning a second concept album, centered on an English legend and themed around vampires. We also see ourselves performing live — not on grueling tours, but at major festivals, hopefully opening for some of our current idols. We will definitely continue working with Andy La Rocque, and we’d love to feature some prominent guest artists from the black metal scene on future releases.

11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to bowadays?

Here’s a list of bands we love: Slayer, Celtic Frost, Vader, 1349, Emperor, Mayhem, Behemoth, Mgła. Lately, we’ve been listening to a lot of contemporary black metal, like Order of Nosferat and Nel Buio. Our guitarist is a huge fan of Death SS, a cult Italian horror metal band that was popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

12. Before we wrap up tih sinterview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

Yes. Please support bands — listen to them, buy physical albums. Be collectors of good music, albums, and band merchandise. Go to live shows. Now more than ever, bands need support from their listeners. Explore music on Spotify and Bandcamp, don’t just rely on curated playlists. Spread the word, share your favorite bands with your friends.

Metal is a niche genre with a loyal and passionate audience — let’s keep it real and alive.

Oh, and one last thing: if you want to dive deeper into the concept behind the album, check out our Threads page, where you’ll find a free PDF (in English) pinned at the top.

https://www.instagram.com/margantha_the_band/