History Mantus

There are three bands/artists that have released music under the name Mantus:

1) is a German darkwave/goth metal band comprised of Martin Schindler and Tina Schindler that dissolved in 2005 but reunited in 2008.

2) is a heavy metal band started by Greg Blakely of Derbyshire, UK.

3) was a NYC disco act who issued the first 12" ever remixed by Jellybean Benitez "(Dance It) Freestyle Rhythm" , a New York radio & club hit in 1978.

(more info on below)

.

1) Is a project by Martin Schindler founded on or about 1997 which disbanded in 2005 but reunited in 2008. Both Martin Schindler and Tina Schindler are also active in electro act Black Heaven and metal outfit Sepia.

The band's name derives from Roman and Etruscan mythology, where Mantus and his wife, Mania were gods of the underworld. They were associated with the city Mantua. Mantus was identified as the "leader of souls", escorting the souls of the dead down into the underworld.

As already said, Mantus is a project by Martin Schindler. But his idea of dark romance only could have been realised by alternating singing of female and male voices. That's why he involved his sister always named as Thalia, which is certainly not her real name.

So the alternating female/male-singing is one incisive aspect of Mantus' musical appearance. Overall the style of the music ranges doom-metal to some kind of pop. The texts contain themes like love, hate, death, perpetuity or immortality but also criticism on global problems as racism, xenophobia and rape.

The reason for their minor popularity in spite of existing for 8 years and releasing 6 albums is that they never gave concerts or appeared in the charts (they never had any ambitions, too).

Discography:

* 2000: Liebe und Tod

* 2001: Abschied

* 2002: Fremde Welten

* 2003: Weg ins Paradies

* 2004: Keine Liebe EP (DVD)

* 2004: Ein Hauch von Wirklichkeit (also as a limited 2 CDs-edition)

* 2005: Zeit muss enden (2 CDs)

* 2006: Chronik (Best of: 2 CDs)

* 2009: Requiem

3) Disco act Mantus was a group formed circa 1974 in Queens NY, and was originally known as Gypsy. Originally a hard rock orientated act, by 1976 they had changed their name to Mantus and shifted to a dance orientated sound. They released their debut single "Turn Around, Boogie Down" in 1978. The follow-up, "(Dance It) Freestyle Rhythm," was a New York radio hit and their debut LP "Midnight Energy" appeared in 1979, and the single "Rock It to the Top" became a Top Ten hit on the club charts in in Billboard, Cash Box, and Record World. Their self-titled 1980 follow-up LP also generated a hit in "Boogie to the Bop,"

Creative Commons By-SA License