Post-metal heavyweights Neomantra return with thunderous second EP Paranosis

Perth doom metal heavyweights Neomantra are back this year with the release of their second EP, Paranosis. Having only just released their debut EP Henosis back in 2021, the new record and its lead single Astral Prison are a thunderous representation of the band’s evolution as they continue to go from strength to strength both in the studio and on stage. Ahead of the live launch of Paranosis at Rosemount Hotel this Friday, October 11, ANTHONY JACKSON spoke to the group about the birth and gestation of their latest creation.

Congratulations on the release of your second EP, Paranosis. Astral Prison is a monster!

Cheers! We had a hard time choosing the single, but we thought that one had a few interesting elements. The clip ended up blowing us all away too. We couldn’t believe where Dom and Leo took it visually.

How has the reaction been to the album?

Friends, fam and peers are giving it props, and it’s getting a decent response on the socials. There have been a few little appreciative words in the inbox from folks local and abroad, so I guess people are digging it. We’re proud of it!

The EP was produced and engineered by Chad Blondel at Foxhole Recording Studios and mastered by Forrester Savell, with additional creative input from Drew Goddard of Karnivool. Can you tell us a bit about the writing process? How does a Neomantra song go from the foetal stage to the fully formed monster?

Royce fleshes out the guitars and programs the drums, then we fine-tune it in the room and at home. We try to relinquish our egos and honour the song, which was admittedly initially hard for me as their new bassist, who grew up on Flea and Claypool. It’s like, “You’re in a fucking post-metal band, mate. Settle down.” (laughs)

How was the recording experience? Was it a gradual process, or do you just go in and smash it out?

The songs were actually completed years before recording, so it was just a matter of finding the right personnel, then, as we’re all old bastards with fams and full-time jobs, time, and funds to shape the songs into their best possible iterations, so apart from the drums, it was a few overlays, reamping the bass tracks I recorded at home, and general tone-shaping stuff. Vocals were done at Greg’s place, in a closet/makeshift booth.

Greg is a fucking machine. One of those drummers who can write a part and stick to it, so he smashed out the drums in a day, then we popped in there over the course of a few weeks, just chucking our bits down. Chad’s a great engineer and a bit of an all-around wiz of a bloke in all facets of life. Makes his own bloody drums and everything. Quite the dude. And Forrester did Forresterish things; he put his sheen on it and made it sound bloody huge.

Do you go in with a clear vision of what you want for the project, or do you go in looking to evolve it a bit further from the rehearsal room stage?

The songs on the EP have been floating around since pre-Henosis, but we have at least another EP’s worth of new material that we’re sitting on and plan on sifting through. We’ll work on DIYing demos and probably release singles with accompanying clips. Jarod has been contributing some riffs lately too, so it’s a bit of a melting pot. The newer stuff is a bit of a departure from the straight chuggy thing; more clean vox, proggier elements and clean vocals.

How did you get Drew from Vool involved? How did he contribute to the beast?

Drew is an old mate of the band members who initially had an input in the early days when the songs were just instrumentals on Royce’s SoundCloud. He kind of mentored and co-produced alongside Royce. They’re good mates and have a similar outlook on music and composition so it was pretty natural.

Would you say Neomantra songs are based around introspection and the inner psyche? What are the themes behind the music? Where does this stem from, and what is the message you want to get out?

Yeah, I guess the theme of the first EP Henosis was kind of centred on your classic philosophies, whereas Paranosis is centred more around modern philosophical questions like the direction of AI, consciousness, and its integration into our species. Things seem to be moving so fast and we’re losing autonomy, so there’s definitely a bit in there about retaining and embracing spirit and the Self, and remembering who we are through awareness and transcendence. And all that jazz!

The live launch is this Friday, October 11 at Rosemount Hotel, and the line-up is a corker. Tell us who you have on the bill. And a bit about them?

We played with King Zog a few months back. Nasty, slow riffs, and a shamelessly Aussie vibe in Dan’s vocals. Twin Serpents are a veritable sludge factory who sound like an 80s fantasy movie. Scalphunter are probably the outlier on the bill as more of a rock/punk act, but they go fucking hard and always pump up the room, which I think will contrast nicely with our sombre and serious themes. And make sure you’re down early to catch Halo of Teeth. They’re amazing, with Mike’s screaming banshee vocals over moody black metal sure to set the scene.

The last time I saw Neomantra was at Rosemount earlier in the year on a huge festival-style bill. I remember there was just this rad vibe at the show; punters were rolling in early in their metal blacks, and there was this real excitement in the air. What is it about the metal crowds that create such a tight community and supportive scene?

That was Wedgefest, hey?

Yes!

Yeah, throbbing crowd at that one. The metal community in Perth is really strong. Bands are all supportive and respectful of one another, and the crowds have the same kind of spirit—raggedy, real, non-pretentious types. All adds up to a great vibe at every show.

How have you been preparing for the launch? Can we expect any special surprises?

Jamming a bit more, tightening the screws. And yeah, we have a super special guest you’ll have to hang around for.

What’s next for Neomantra? Any plans to take the EP on tour?

Yeah, for sure! We’re yet to venture out of Perth and are definitely keen to get over east and abroad. Still early days, so hopefully with this EP under our belt it’ll take us into the ears and eyes, and ‘oles and souls, of more people. We’re here for it, keen to flog this new era of the band for all its worth before we’re too old.