PHANTOM ELITE are known as an alternative metal band with a twist, led by Brazilian vocalist Marina La Torraca, who is accompanied by two Dutchies: Max van Esch on guitar and drummer Joeri Warmerdam. There is a third Dutchman involved, bassist Siebe Sol Sijpkens, but more about this later. PHANTOM ELITE’s newest EP “Mantis” will be out independently on May 22, but we already risked having our heads bitten off by Marina in this interview on the road with her.
Congratulations with PHANTOM ELITE’s new EP “Mantis”. Why an EP and not a full-length album?

“Thank you! We wanted to have the freedom and flexibility to experiment a little bit without committing to a full album at first. Besides, it’s the best way to promote your music within modern standards.”

About the cover art, is there something hidden behind the Mantis figure, a text or symbol?

“The cover was made by our guitarist Max. It’s the ‘angel mantis’, as we like to call it: a woman with angel wings and praying mantis claws, ready to attack. It symbolizes the duality present in feminine energy – also in our songs. The whole EP is about interpersonal relationships from the female POV. The hidden icon behind the figure is a stylized PHANTOM ELITE logo.”On the backside it says that the EP holds six tracks, including “Intermission” and “Sangre Mala DNB Remix (ft. MX Venice)”, but I didn’t get those two with the promo release. So, can you tell us something more about them?

“Those tracks just round up the whole EP experience. The “DNB Remix” of Sangre Mala is something we’ve always wanted to make, which is heavily connect heavy metal music and heavy electronic music.”

How did the collaboration with SetYøurSails vocalist Jules Mitch on “Slow Burn” come about and is it, as she said on her Instagram, a breakup song?

“The collab with Jules was the best idea we could have had for “Slow Burn”! I actually know her manager for years, and asked if she would be interested in joining us for that track. She agreed and the rest you know! Fun fact: we met in person for the first time 10 minutes before shooting that intimate music video. And yes, it is a breakup song indeed (based on recent personal experiences), which makes it all more unusual that it features an all-female duet. In the music video we are discussing the end of that relationship. I loved that idea in many levels, and her voice and energy are perfect for the song.”

“Nectar” is the main food source for butterflies, bees, bumblebees and some other insects. But who is it for in this song?

“Nectar is in this case the food source for humans, and it means love and lust – with a metal twist: “your blood tastes like honey from the hive”. The lyrics draw inspiration from pop artists actually – a bit of a bold move in the metal scene, haha, and it’s focused on the female perspective of sexual autonomy.”

You’ve released three videos off the EP so far, for “Sangre Mala”, “Good Guy” and “Slow Burn”. All three represent a different genre: melodic death metal, modern metal and alternative metal. That makes the EP very interesting. Are you going to drop another one on release day or after that?

“We see all releases in “Mantis” as one genre within modern / alternative metal umbrella. “Nectar” is the last single to be released from this EP, and it will come with a music video on the 23rd of May! So yes, on the same day as the whole EP.”

The “Mantis” EP release show will be held at the Helling in Utrecht, The Netherlands on May 22nd. Some special guests are coming as well. What can you tell us about them, who are they and what will they do that evening? And why do you only sell physical copies of “Mantis” there?

“Oh, we see this release show as a big party with friends, family, fans, and everyone who wants to have some fun and release some energy! I’ve invited my friends Zora Cock from Blackbriar and Anna Brunner from League Of Distortion and Exit Eden (my partner in crime) to make super special features on stage. I can’t say which song they’ll be singing, but you will hear it live! 🙂 The physical copies are firstly only being sold there, exactly. We wanted to mainly focus on the digital release of this EP – perks of doing it independently. And for now the CD will be a special piece of merch.”Is Siebe Sol Sijpkens a permanent member of PHANTOM ELITE or is it just you, Max and Joeri in the lineup?

“Haha, Siebe definitely has a special place in our hearts and in our band. We see him as a member, but it’s only me, Max and Joeri running the business. Also, he already is a permanent member of an awesome and very busy band, Blackbriar. 😉”

You’re going on a European tour with Ad Infinitum and Seven Spires end of October / early November 2025. The manager of PHANTOM ELITE is Rob van der Loo, better known as the bassist of Epica. Did he arrange that for you?

“We’ve been carving our space in the industry for many years now through blood, sweat and tears. It would be unfair to say our manager alone arranged this tour for us. We are now part of Doomstar Booking, who is Ad Infinitum’s booker. And we’ve established a pretty good relationship with the band in 2023, when we opened for them and Blackbriar on their co-headline tour.”

Henk van Nieuwenhoven