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Mandragora - Biography


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1998-

Biography

In the early beginning of 1998 a guitarist Rimas started looking for the musicians, who would be interested in founding a new band. During a few months the whole crew was gathered: Rimas-guitar, Audrius-bass, vocal, Haroldas - guitar, Emilis - drums and Vaiva - female vocals, keyboards.

In June of the same year MANDRAGORA released their first demo, but regarding to a rather poor quality of the sound the record did not reach the shelves. However, the copies were successfully shared in the circle of the closest friends. Furthermore, the record reached the committee of organizers of festival NAUJAS KRAUJAS 1999 (New Blood 1999). The debut of MANDRAGORA was amazing. The band drew great attention and found a huge circle of fans, received many invitations to other heavy metal motions.

After the test of their strength on the live shows, MANDRAGORA decides to release the second, the better record. The result is MCMXCIX, recorded in 1999 and released by DANGUS RECORDS label. The Record MCMXCIX attracts to audience with melodic tendencies, changing rhythms, soft female vocals and exclusive, vital and driving atmosphere-characterized distributor DANGUS RECORDS. Indeed, main axle of music was balanced between a particular melodies and sharp death metal riffs-not too soft and lyric, but melodious enough. This tendency was uprised even stronger in their third demo POSTHUMOUS ART, which was released in 2000 with distribution of the same DANGUS RECORDS label. This new product was completed with even different kinds of music styles.

In 2002 MANDRAGORA experienced many changes. Female vocalist Vaiva and the guitarist Alex left the band; a few months after a new guitarist Lukas joined the crew.

Without female vocals the sound of the band became more aggressive. In 2003, after many gigs, MANDRAGORA took their fourth visit to the record studio and during the summer recorded their full-length debut album "At The End".

Year 2004 - 2005 were probably most successful in the band's history. Mandragora both had multiple concerts in Lithuania and represented Lithuanian metal scene abroad. The band shared the stage with some of the most well-known metal bands from nearby countries including Dismember, Insomnium, Parricide, Neglected Fields, Skyforger, Morrigan, Horricane, etc.

Unfortunately, after these successful years a guitarist Lukas left the band. However, his replacement was found shorly after that as the new guitarist Kirill joined in summer 2005. With such formation Mandragora once again appeared on Lithuania's metal scene.

Then again, before the year passed, the band decided to separate ways with it's long - term member, the vocalist and the bassist, Audrius. That was an uneasy step, for the band now was bound to search for even two new members. Fortunately, they were both found in short period of time: the bassist Mindaugas joined the band in May and the vocalist Arvydas in October 2006.

In November the same year Mandragora once again began performing. During the latter year the band visited every Lithuania's heavy city and received multiple positive comments. The band is planning to record a new album in such formation this summer. The album should appear in commemoration of the band's 10 year activity.