ALL PROCEEDS GO TO 113 SUICIDE PREVENTION. We all face our own battles in life: with/against ourselves, illness, each other or the world. It has often helped Mantle Plume to hear her feelings reflected in music and lyrics. With her self-written songs (sounding as intense as a real mantle plume coming from the core of the earth) she wants to provide the same for others.

Singing or shouting at the top of her guitar riffs, Mantle Plume propels abnormally hot alternative rock with a punk attitude, multilayered lyrics and a drive, energy and intensity like a volcanic hotspot.

Mantle Plume wrote the 4 songs on ‘In The Heat Of Battle’ during the Covid-19 pandemic. “A time when the whole world should have come together to face a common threat, but instead kept pointing fingers at each other while fighting to be the first to get their hands on masks and vaccines, with rich countries and companies profiteering from poorer countries and people once again”, Mantle Plume fumes. It seemed everyone was battling: some for physical health, some for freedom, some for mental health.

During that time Mantle Plume participated in the ‘Artist in Progress’ program at BMEC College of Music. Sadly one of her fellow artists there, singer-songwriter Toon Mentink, took his own life on the day the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn took place. “That's when they stand so close to each other that it looks as if they form 1 star, but in the Netherlands it was too cloudy to see it, which I find symbolic. I wrote the song ‘Great Conjunction’ in remembrance of Toon, hoping it can bring something of meaning to his family, friends and to anyone who has lost someone dear”, Mantle Plume shares. Toon’s buddy Jack Guns joined her on bass and Tim Bastiaanse (another fellow artist/producer at BMEC) mixed the song, capturing their warm memories, grief and road to recovery together.

From those warm sounds to the kaleidoscopic phoenix-like ‘Let Go’, the tongue-in-cheek experimental noise of ‘Hear Me’ and engaging in (vocal) battle with Finn Rombouts in the punky duet/duel ‘Crossing Swords’, the EP - exclusively released on Bandcamp - ‘In The Heat Of Battle’ presents a very different sound for each battle, yet always fiery and intense, characteristically Mantle Plume.

If you feel like you can’t handle your battle anymore, or are worried about someone, please call 0800-0113 (in the Netherlands) or chat on 113.nl (worldwide) with the people of 113 Suicide Prevention (or check findahelpline.com for an organisation in your country). They are there 24/7 to listen to you, confidentially. Talking about it helps. You have nothing to lose.