New single is a genre-bending mash of angst.

 

If you were to simply read the words Destroy You as a song title and see that the genre was cited as rock, chances are you’d jump to the assumption of hard-hitting rock with blistering guitar solos and ear-crushing basslines. Alternatively, you might assume something on the metal end of the spectrum. That is exactly what Mantra set out to achieve with their latest single… we think.

In any case, that’s certainly the effect. Listeners going into the single blind (or, deaf, I suppose) will be blindsided by the subdued guitar opening and the grunge-meets-Radiohead atmosphere and delivery of the chorus. Of course, the song does pick up to Muse-esque levels of rock revelry for a strong percentage of the track, with crunchy guitar riffs filling the void between choruses and verses while a ruthless drum section flows underneath.

It’s a powerhouse alt-rock track, blurring the lines between grunge, indie and alt-rock in a distinctly unusual (and glorious) way.