THAT’S HOW IT WAS WITH MANNTRA

February 22, 2026, Hamburg, Knust
Support: Wisborg

Folk rock metal with dirt under the fingernails

February 22, 2026 doesn’t feel like Sunday in Hamburg. – Not in the Knust and not with this audience. The Knust is a tight cauldron that evening. The room seems smaller than usual, tighter, as if the stage is moving a little closer. And that fits. Because what comes today needs no distance. Here they honestly shout out what’s going on … and yes – it gets dirty.

Wisborg – dark elegance with a bite

Before Manntra set the audience in motion, the stage first belongs to Wisborg. And the Knust is plunged into a different kind of darkness for a moment. The gothic rock band knows how to create an atmosphere without getting lost in nostalgia. Their songs carry this mixture of melancholy, morbid romanticism and cutting guitar edge – somewhere between classic gothic rock and modern heaviness.

With “I Believe in Nothing”, the new song “Creature of the Night” and “Perfume & Cigarettes”, they open the set like a black door into another world. Dark, elegant and yet direct enough to capture the audience immediately. The guitars draw broad lines through the room, while the voice lies over them like a dark veil. Later, “An Erotic Funeral”, “Totentanz” and “Vampyre” drive the atmosphere further forward. This shows just how good Wisborg are at live drama. With “Schmerz vereint”, “Im freien Fall” and the surprisingly fitting “The Bitter End” (Placebo), the mood finally shifts into that dark undertow that can make gothic rock so powerful. As “Spirits That I Called” closes the set, the feeling remains that Wisborg have delivered far more here than just an opening act. They have prepared what is to come. Emotionally and with atmosphere.

Folk metal with teeth

Manntra kick off with “Titans” and “Morana” – and the Knust is immediately electrified. “Yelena” and “In the Shadows” follow: melodic enough for catchy tunes, hard enough for necks and spinning heads. Later, “Teuta” and “The Hunter” grab the audience by the collar and pull them forward. With “Barren King” and “Unholy Water (Voda)”, the sound becomes even earthier, heavier – as if the ground itself is beginning to resonate. “The Heart of the Storm” is one such moment in which the title doesn’t just remain a title. The song swirls, drives, whips forward – and you realize immediately: nobody wants a break here. This is followed by “So ist das Leben”. A song that sits between the teeth like a dirty grin, while the chorus captures the crowd in a united whole. “Slave” hits harder than the name already promises. The riffs seem like chains that snap rhythmically, and the audience responds with fists and throats. “Higher” lifts the evening not in lightness, but in intensity. Melody and pressure intertwine until the chorus rolls across the room like a wave. You immediately sense that this is exactly the kind of song that bands like Manntra are made for. With “Skal”, the mood turns completely into a collective frenzy. It doesn’t feel like partying – more like a ritual that everyone knows, even though it’s only just beginning. A song like a call. – And the Knust calls back.

The final phase of the evening begins with “Ori Ori”. The song is driving, catchy, mercilessly live-ready – and suddenly the whole room is dancing as if this were the last evening before the end of the world. That’s how it has to be. Manntra leave the stage only to return. From here, the evening turns into the long home stretch. And it remains without mercy. Monday won’t matter. “Invocation” as the first encore is like a dark ritual. The song builds up slowly, increasing step by step and drawing the audience deeper and deeper into its spell. You can feel this special live energy when the band and the audience suddenly share the same pulse. Manntra tighten the screw again with “Heathens”. “Kiša” brings a moment of dark melancholy to the evening. The song seems more emotional, almost reflective – without losing its power. The raw energy returns with “Domain”. “Nightmare” comes like a final explosion before the finale.

Dark, heavy and at the same time incredibly driving – exactly the mixture that makes Manntra so strong live. Finally, “Naranča” is an unexpected but perfectly placed encore. The song brings a different color to the set without losing the pressure – more like a last glow after a long storm. The audience sings, claps – and as the last note fades away, the Knust seems strangely quiet for a moment. An evening between melody and force, between dance and metal riff. And once again it becomes clear how well this scene works when bands don’t try to be perfect – but simply honestly loud.

Text & Photos: Thomas Friedel Fuhrmann

Setlist Manntra:
“Titans” – “Morana” – “Yelena” – “In the Shadows” – “Teuta” – “The Hunter” – “Barren King” – “Unholy Water (Voda)” – “The Heart of the Storm” – “Such is Life” – “Slave” – “Higher” – “Skal” – “Ori Ori” — “Invocation” – “Heathens” – “Kiša” – “Domain” – “Nightmare” — “Naranča” (Putokazi cover)