The dark electro maestro Anders Manga returns with his most accomplished LP to date, “Darker Than You Think”, a haunting mini-masterpiece.
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They say good things come in small packages, but I find that to be true only about half the time. On the one hand, small-batch whiskey is undeniably the nectar of the gods, but on the other hand, fun-size candy bars simply cannot compete with their full-size brethren. “Nobody wants a small…” can pertain to just about anything… and frequently does (inappropriate or otherwise).
But sometimes, just sometimes, the small can be absolutely mighty.
Case in point: the Darker Than You Think LP from Anders Manga (aka electro’s best artist that you’ve never heard of). Clocking in at thirty minutes on the nose, it’s almost too short to be considered an album but essentially too long to be an EP.
There are only eight songs, but its brevity is more than offset by the sheer quality of the music contained within.
A good chunk of the songs were released as singles prior to the album dropping, and for good reason: they’re all bangers, encapsulating everything that the genre has to offer. It must be stated, however, that the non-single tracks are just as good, if not better, than those that came before. Yes, the album really is just that good.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise since Anders Manga has been making music since 1997, with various projects coming in and out of the crypt according to his whims.
These include the dark rock outfit Coffin Moth, the heavy metal project Bloody Hammers, the horror-themed Terrortron, and, of course, his self-named darkwave output. He even had a song featured on an episode of The Vampire Diaries back in 2012. The dude stays busy, that’s for sure.
I love me some metal, and Bloody Hammers is a bloody good time, but it’s his electro/darkwave output that truly stands out. He manages to capture the spirit of the old-school 80s & 90s electronic phase perfectly while still sounding decidedly modern. This in itself is a delicate balancing act.
But Anders Manga takes things even further, surpassing many of his darkwave contemporaries by rarely modulating his voice when he sings.
The dude can just straight-up carry a tune. Look, I’m one of darkwave’s biggest proponents, but let’s be honest—many of the bands out there have a fantastic sound while their actual singing leaves much to be desired. Not so here. Anders Manga has a fantastic voice, one which is perfectly suited to accompany spooky synthesizers and sinister samples.
The album covers and song titles are absolutely on point as well. This is a guy who clearly loves horror in all its forms and is not subtle about showing it.
Just take a gander at the album art for Portrait, Leave My Grave Open, and Welcome to Darkness on Spotify, and you’ll see what I mean.
Released in September 2024, Darker Than You Think is a perfectly sized slice of darkwave/electro goodness without a single filler track to be found. I suppose that’s one large benefit of only having seven to eight cuts per album, which allows the resulting offering to be a lean, mean music machine devoid of skippable songs.
Like any release, some of the songs are better than others, so let’s explore the standout tracks.
Between Life and Shadow: The leadoff track for Darker Than You Think is also a great jumping-in point for those new to the Anders Manga experience. It covers all the bases of what to expect from the album as a whole, in addition to the vast majority of Anders’ back-catalogue. Analogue synths provide the backbone, twisting around both chorus and verse like a sonic snake. Stomping bass drums propel the song forward at a moderate BPM, sounding especially impactful on subwoofer-enabled stereos.
Portrait: The slowest song on the album (an electro-ballad, if you will), Portrait is also my favorite Anders Manga track of all time. It just oozes atmosphere, effortlessly setting the scene of a decrepit mansion where sorrow and regret have settled within the very foundation. Anders just goes all in on the vocals, with synthesizer high-notes swirling in the background like audible fog, and unhurried percussion providing an air of somber solemnity.
Adrift: Arguably the catchiest song on the album, with its “in a tomb adrift at sea, I’m a long-lost frequency” chorus accompanied by a midrange sequencer arrangement, Adrift is my second favorite track from Darker Than You Think. It’s more uptempo than Portrait but still unhurried overall, and just a damn fine excursion into entrancing dark electro.
Blood From Roses: A rousing club anthem, Blood From Roses pulls out all the stops, upping the BPMs while allowing the synthesizer to reign supreme. If this track doesn’t get your head bopping or your foot tapping, then we may just need to check your pulse. Designed to get fannies on the (dance)floor, Blood From Roses is just pure darkwave delight.
Phantom: Another propulsive track, Phantom is a bass-drum driven affair, with the driving beat at the forefront of the action. Anders’ voice makes the chorus of “when the witching hour comes, in the shadows I’ll be your phantom” all too captivating, a promise of dark delights hidden just beyond the gloom. Overall, it’s just another great forceful track that hits hard and then makes its exit.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The older I get, the more I appreciate things that are straight to the point. Eliminating the middleman, as it were. Now don’t get me wrong—I still love me some progressive, complicated riffs and three-hour cinema epics that test the endurance of both your eyes and your ass, but there is something to be said about a straightforward and tightly focused product. Something that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t waste time with extraneous frills.
Darker Than You Think is exactly that, the rare exception to the rule of “bigger is better”. It is the “wham, bam, thank you, ma’am” of albums, slinging earworm after earworm of pure sonic seduction and then departing before things get awkward or complicated.
Every track is a winner, and the entire package is pure horror fan service.
If that sounds like your cup of Earl Gray, I strongly urge you to give Darker Than You Think a spin. You’ll be glad you did.
Overall Rating (Out of 5 Butterflies): 5
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