A legacy in the making.
Hailing from Oklahoma City – Oklahoma’s heavy metal scene – comes Black Magnet and their new release, Megamantra, in July of 2025. It has been three years since their last album. Listeners can expect an eclectic blend of various elements, from the industrial sounds, heavy metal riffs and processed vocals. The core of the collection of songs in Megamantra are industrialized metal, using a synthesizer to create numerous sounds that elicit intense feelings from pounding metal aggression to a harsh dissonance.
The current vocalist and guitarist for Black Magnet, James Hammontree, is also the founder of the band who started it as a solo project. Hammontree has also included other band members to help amplify his vision on the album: Ryne Bratcher (guitars), Jared Branson (drums) and Eric Gorman (synth, vocals). The current band members have been with Black Magnet for approximately 2-3 years. Beyond the band’s origins, Black Magnet’s most notable influences include Nine Inch Nails, Godflesh and Marilyn Manson.
Band members of Black Magnet collaborated to create some mentionable songs on the album, including the track seven,”Night Tripping.” Despite its brevity, it is memorable as it combines many elements of the genre, with electrifying, pounding synthesizers reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. The lyrical content mentions inner turmoil, “See through the gauze to the shadow life,” which could allude to either psychological or physical scarring.
Next up on the album is the third track, “Better than Love,” which begins with sharp staccato and a deep, pulsating bass that is similar to a mechanical heart pumping. Later in the song, there is an intriguing solo by the synthesizer lead that soon becomes intertwined with the heavy metal guitars creating a complex musical sound for the rest of the track. It is also evident in this song that Hammontree’s vocals are similar to Marilyn Manson’s vocals.
Moving on, the eighth track, “Birth,” is a solid song with forceful vocals and a solid industrial sound. It begins with a catchy synthesizer beat, then the rest of the layers of the song kick in, as a periodic metallic swing sound persists in the background. In addition, the musical piece also has a raw quality, as the distorted guitars are meshed with the industrial electronica, giving it weight, and adds intensity to the overarching theme of death.
All things considered, it appears that the fans of Black Magnet will appreciate the new album, Megamantra, and the band’s steady development. Despite the desired layering of sounds, the album’s audio clarity occasionally suffers from a persistent “filmoverlay” in the production. For many heavy metal enthusiasts, this probably will be a small drawback with the overall melodious industrial sound, along with the dark messages characteristic of the genre.
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