Mnajdra/Saħħar/MDLXV - Fidi Vendetta/Snow Wolf Records/Fiadh Productions/2025 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  U.S.A's  Mnajdra  and  Mata's  Saħħar  called  "MDLXV  -  Fidi  Vendetta"  which  will  be  released  in  November  as  a  joint  effort  between  Snow  Wolf  Records  and  Fiadh  Productions  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Mnajdra  a  solo  project  who  returns  with  a  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  sound  between  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  fo  a r aw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  a  collaboration  between  Saħħar  which  also  adds  in  some  chants.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  The  Great  Siege  Of  Malta.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mnajdra  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Drawn  Sword  Of  Islam"  and  "Shine  on  the  Ruins".

  Next  up  is  Saħħar  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  very  dark  style   of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  synths  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  more  of  growling  style  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  death  metal.  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  raw  black  metal  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  as  well  as  some  of  the  vocals  also  adding  in  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  most  of  his  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Great  Siege  Of  Malta.

  In  my  opinion  Saħħar  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Nofs  Millenju".

  In  conclusion  I  fell  this  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  the  modern  era  black  metal  styles.  8  out  of  10.

  https://mnajdra.bandcamp.com/album/mdlxv-fidi-vendetta       

Mnajdra/In The Name Of The Goddess/Fiadh Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Mnajdra  are  a  musical  project  from  the  United  States  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "In  The  Name  of  The  Goddess"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Fiadh  Productions.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  dissonant  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  The  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks  along  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  also  add  in  an  instrumental  as  the  album  progresses.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Malta's  long  history  of  ancient  goddess  worship  dating  back  to  ancient  times.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mnajdra  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  dissonant  black,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bastion"  "Oracle  Chamber"  and  "For  The  Son  Of  Bat,  The  King".  8  out  of  10.

  https://mnajdra.bandcamp.com/

Mnajdra Interview

 

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

This is a completely new project. The idea is to blend black metal with some slower elements like doom to create a crushing sound from the ancient gods. Somebody described our sound as catastrophic and I love that.

2.Recently you have released an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

A mix of dissonant black metal with doom. There are some death riffs, sludge, post metal, etc. But the idea was to blacken everything and make it cohesive. Something terrifying but also magnetic. Inescapable.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the bandhas explored so far with the music?

The entire thing is inspired by the ancient megaliths left behind by cultures that we don’t have much  understanding of. Ancient people that constructed these incredible temples and we don’t have a clear definitive idea why or what they were used for. So the lyrics play with that theme. Who were their gods? We imagine them ourselves and craft stories and rituals for them.

4.I know that the bands was named after a megalithic temple found on the island of Malta, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

The megaliths of Malta are among the oldest known of in the history of the world. Malta is an incredible country with a lot of complex history and layered culture. Mnajdra is a name and place that jumped out at me after visiting it. It beckoned me to create something and take it as the namesake. What would such a thing sound like? For me ancient megaliths with mysterious cults and gods could only be interpreted through a blackened doom sound. 

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

The artwork is from an artist I discovered on Instagram. It wasn’t commissioned but rather just sitting there for sale. When I saw the piece that became the cover it seemed to have everything this project needed. Mystery, monuments, chaos, and some sort of central godlike being. There are multiple pieces of his that were used for the physical packaging and our logo. 

6.Are there any plans for live shows or is this strictly a studio project?

For now this is a studio project but we’ll see what comes of it.

7.So far very little is known about the project, do you prefer to keep a lower profile?

As long as this is a studio only project the lineup will be kept private. As with most studio projects of this genre the members are involved in many other projects so we’d like Mnajdra to exist on its own. 

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We would like to connect with a label to release better physical copies than the DIY cassettes and CDs we made but despite the success so far nobody has responded to our inquiries or reached out. It may just be what it is.  

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

The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Black Metal Promotions premiered the album and we’ve sold a lot on bandcamp. Only a couple reviews have come in so far but they’ve been great. 

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

With everything being so new it’s tough to say. Hopefully whatever comes next will be even more devastating than the debut.

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 nowadays?

Nothing specific. Just an amalgamation of every style of extreme metal that worked well enough together. My most recent purchases were on Record Store Day and I picked up Death and Enslaved. 

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

We’d like to thank everyone for this amazing reception right from the start. Sometimes it can be difficult to launch a new project but that was not the case here. You have our most sincere gratitude.

Bandcamp

Mnajdra/Self Titled/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Mnajdra  are  a  musical  project  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  very  diverse  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2023  album.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling. 

   The  music  also  has  its  dissonant  moments   while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  synths and  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  ancient  monuments  with  imagined  alternate  history.

  In  my  opinion  Mnajdra  are  a  very  great  sounding  post  black  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Worshipping  Stones"  "Disorder"  and  "Golden  Gate  Of  The  Ecliptic".  8  out  of  10.

https://mnajdra.bandcamp.com/album/mnajdra