Antares Predator is a band that sees together the talents of Steffan Schulze (Scariot), Warach (Keep of Kalessin), Mikal Svendsen and drummer Blastphemer (Absentia Lunae, Belphegor) to perform a brand of science-fiction, futurist black and thrash metal. Now, before you form subconscious comparisons of a band like Aura Noir or Bewitched, I should state that these guys have a different approach, distinct largely due to the technical precision of their delivery. These guys play their riffs as tight as buttons, much more reminiscent of the more technical minded Norse black metal bands like Keep of Kalessin, or 1349. They use a lot of blasting and cold rhythms, with a vocal style that wends directly between the poles of black rasp and death grunt. Synthesizer sounds appear where necessary to transfer the music just far enough into an otherworldly realm, and these are appreciated, because I often found the riffing less than compelling.The opener "Downfall" is an example of what I didn't like about the album, a series of fast and pummeling rhythms that, while technically sound and brutal over the blasting, never seem to hit that sequence of notes that could make the track memorable. I remember a similar reaction I had from the earlier albums of Susperia, who had another of these polished approaches to the black and thrash blend. A few of more mid paced tracks on this album like "BBQ Epilogue" and "Sacrament" did their share to compensate, in particular the atmosphere on the latter, which makes good use of its large, plodding chords to create a haunting cyclical rhythm. The synth tones that opened "Orion" were really cool, but though its one of the finer fast pieces on the album, it's all precision, modern Norse black metal without much emotion outside of the vocals (Steffan has an approach not unlike Ihsahn here, but a little fuller in tone). The next two tracks also have great keyboards, and the title track is honestly pretty excellent throughout, not to mention the instrumental "Death" which closes the album with a series of morose melodies that conjure both thunder and starfall.
In the end, there is just enough in this Twilight of the Apocalypse to please the ear, but I certainly think the potential exists to write more memorable riffs, especially when the band is exploring their thrash half. The science fiction themes, Voivod-like logo, and atmosphere created when the keyboards and guitars clash are all positive factors, but something sterile remains in a large chunk of the riffs that don't quite summon up a replay value. Fans of Keep of Kalessin, Behemoth, Susperia, and most modern Norse or Swedish black/death hybrid artists should give this a listen if they're into the cosmic themes, as there is at the least an undeniable potential for greatness here.
Highlights: Sacrament, Twilight of the Apocalypse, Death
Verdict: Win [7/10]
http://www.myspace.com/antarespredator
No comments:
Post a Comment