White Mantis – Arrows At the Sun
Release Date: 22nd August 2025
Label: High Roller Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Thrash Metal
FFO: Warbringer, Voivod, Exodus.
Review By: Andy Spoon
German thrash outfit White Mantis are back with their second album with their current line-up, Arrows at The Sun, a 47-minute thrash offering that should please fans of Megadeth, Exodus, and Warbringer. Immediately, you are treated to a choral opening that explodes into a thrash circus with maximum effort. It’s pretty clear that White Mantis is not attempting to reinvent the wheel, leaning heavily into their roots. I was immediately thinking of Megadeth and Exodus the entire time, which are excellent bands to want to emulate if you are wanting to bring that level of fleshy thrash to the surface.
You’re not going to get that Slayer-esque shouting-into-the-mic vibe. It’s smoother, while maintaining the proper rough edges. If Mustaine’s signature vocals were something that helped them transcend genres, White Mantis’ vocals are going to keep their sound further in the trenches of the thrash category. One of the important things that I noticed was that they weren’t trying to appease anyone, instead sticking to their formula. I appreciate that, as there are too many acts wanting to try and water down their sound for singles. The vocals are probably my favorite part of the album, blending raw and edgy with melodic and a fun 1980s-era power that has given over largely to wanting to lean into heavier, death-metal-inspired. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but it’s great to find something that really digs into the purity of true thrash.
The wailing, shredding guitar leads are obviously something that gives a powerful edge whose absence would flatten the entire album. I found myself eagerly-anticipating the next dive bomb or trilling lead, usually always perfectly-executed. However, I didn’t find anything in the guitar leads that burned itself into my brain as something that I’d keep returning to again and again, something that Megadeth managed to get right, despite their awful vocals. The album tends to be heavier – and the guitar leads lean into the “shredding” category substantially more than they do in the melodic or melancholic. That’s not to discredit White Mantis in the slightest for what appears to be a stylistic choice, only to say that you won’t be finding attempts to ballad-ize tracks on Arrows at The Sun.
I think that Arrows at The Sun is an above-average offering that thrash fans ought to check out if they are fans of the speed-chugging, dive-bombing thrash metal that can bring you right back to the golden days of thrash, albeit with a little better mixing and mastering for the contemporary world. I think that their sound is distinct enough to absolutely become a staple in your thrash rotation if you are looking to boost your energy and aggression with some truly gritty metal.
(3.5 / 5)
