Antaeus
Rekordin 2000-1
[End All Life Produktion]
I am at a lack of words concerning this infernal piece of mayhem. It is not my
policy to shower unjust accolades upon an undeserving band, but I can honestly
say that this has to be one of the most awe-inspiring displays of full-on black-
hearted blasphemy to have reared its ugly head for a very long time.
I’ve actually heard many positive words about this particular outfit, and due to
the seemingly intangible nature of their demos never got a chance to give them a
spin, so naturally when I heard that a local distro had this in stock I snapped a
copy up.
I was met with some initial disappointment when this went into the CD drive, considering its rather pathetic running time of 11:47 and the fact that it contains 2 tracks to the proposed 4 in the CD sleeve. Considering the fact that both ‘intro’ and ‘outro’ tracks are embedded within these two tracks, we are left but 10 minutes of mayhem, but oh what a glorious, devilishly sadistic 10 minutes we are left with! After a seemingly stereotypical manipulated sound intro, all pleasantry is swiftly abandoned and a maelstrom of noise leaps at you in a most rabid fashion, taking no prisoners in the process. A whirlwind of breakneck fury, Antaeus formula is one devoid of remorse. Crunchy, distortion-soaked guitars serve up riff after thrash-laden riff, while a manic drummer keeps these demonic rhythms in place, unleashing a barrage of blasting cacophony, keeping up inhuman speeds and employing enough invention to keep you nodding your head to the ensuing barbarity.
If it’s a comparison you’re looking for, I suppose you could draw parallels between this and Singapore’s own Impiety and perhaps Australia’s Destroyer 666. Antaeus wears its old-school influences firmly on its sleeve, employing heavily thrash-influenced structures and guitar concepts, while still retaining a high degree of old school black metal integrity, much like the aforementioned bands. It is in my opinion though, that Antaeus, in the span of 12 minutes have proved to be the superior band, what with their impeccable choice of sound (raw, direct, yet up-front and clear enough to instil the music with a rabid, manic quality, much unlike their more necro French counterparts).
If there is one complaint and one complaint only that I can make about this release, I should suppose it’s the rather tinny sound of the drums, but then again this is but a minute and common complaint to make about black metal in general.
If you’re one who enjoys unrestrained displays of relentless barbarity in the fields of black metal, you shouldn’t hesitate to snap this release up for any price. Yet another exponent from a French scene that looks set to claim the underground for its own, and perhaps the most adept yet. Crushing black war.
[10]
© 2000 equimanthorn
I was met with some initial disappointment when this went into the CD drive, considering its rather pathetic running time of 11:47 and the fact that it contains 2 tracks to the proposed 4 in the CD sleeve. Considering the fact that both ‘intro’ and ‘outro’ tracks are embedded within these two tracks, we are left but 10 minutes of mayhem, but oh what a glorious, devilishly sadistic 10 minutes we are left with! After a seemingly stereotypical manipulated sound intro, all pleasantry is swiftly abandoned and a maelstrom of noise leaps at you in a most rabid fashion, taking no prisoners in the process. A whirlwind of breakneck fury, Antaeus formula is one devoid of remorse. Crunchy, distortion-soaked guitars serve up riff after thrash-laden riff, while a manic drummer keeps these demonic rhythms in place, unleashing a barrage of blasting cacophony, keeping up inhuman speeds and employing enough invention to keep you nodding your head to the ensuing barbarity.
If it’s a comparison you’re looking for, I suppose you could draw parallels between this and Singapore’s own Impiety and perhaps Australia’s Destroyer 666. Antaeus wears its old-school influences firmly on its sleeve, employing heavily thrash-influenced structures and guitar concepts, while still retaining a high degree of old school black metal integrity, much like the aforementioned bands. It is in my opinion though, that Antaeus, in the span of 12 minutes have proved to be the superior band, what with their impeccable choice of sound (raw, direct, yet up-front and clear enough to instil the music with a rabid, manic quality, much unlike their more necro French counterparts).
If there is one complaint and one complaint only that I can make about this release, I should suppose it’s the rather tinny sound of the drums, but then again this is but a minute and common complaint to make about black metal in general.
If you’re one who enjoys unrestrained displays of relentless barbarity in the fields of black metal, you shouldn’t hesitate to snap this release up for any price. Yet another exponent from a French scene that looks set to claim the underground for its own, and perhaps the most adept yet. Crushing black war.
[10]
© 2000 equimanthorn