Satanath Records - Reviews: SODP005

Reviews: SODP005

Black Antlers are a pretty young project with members from both the U. S. of A. (Justin Palmieri, the guy behind the superb i AM Esper-project) and Croatia (Robert Bekič, also involved with different solo-outfits). Both guys worked together before, or better, at least they released some split-material for their solo-projects (i AM Esper versus Mental Cage). Black Antlers released a handful of singles and demos (and compilation-stuff), and in early 2014 the duo recorded their third demo, which was originally released via great Cvlminis, and now also digitally released via the huge Torn Flesh Records-roster. This stuff is available too via Symbol Of Domination Productions, a sub-division of Satanath Records, and it’s via Satanath’s label-manager Aleksey that I did receive this material.

Demo III starts with a short intro, called Pure, which is a piece on acoustic guitars. Nothing special at all. But then, as from Wert Des Lebens, Black Antlers bring their ultimately ugly, mad, evil and horrific Black Metal. The guitar riffs are purely inspired by the nastiest sides of the second Wave trend, but the eventual execution goes much further. If only you take the vocals in account, you will understand the extremity of this duo’s grim approach. Bestial growls, monstrous grunts, shrieking screams, possessed yells, hysterical shouts and guttural blood-spitting; it’s just a short impression of the vocal performance… Two tracks, Wert Des Lebens and Erasing Hate, start with an atmospheric introduction, and despite being very limited in duration (the intro, not the songs themselves), it does color the whole atmosphere a lot (though, ‘to color’ means ‘to blacken’). But as soon as the ‘songs’ start, frenzy appears. The melodious, even melancholic Nordic melodies and the victorious rhythm section stay in fierce contrast with those vocals, but I think it’s a unique combination, a great interplay that characterizes this two-man project. And as a matter of fact, the song structures a pretty neat (haha, what’s in a word) too. Inner Piece, finally, is a long (six minutes) instrumental composition, based on hypnotic sounds and martial percussion, a fabulous interpretation on Ambient and Industrial, yet of a mostly oppressive yet, at the same time, dreamy kind.

Once again, a remark about the sound: not satisfying! Bad mix, too much background noises…

I do not know if these two guys have the intention to record a ‘professional’ full length in a near future, but studios and labels must pay attention, and give Black Antlers the support and equipment to evolve, to do what is meant to become…

Concreteweb

Black Antlers are an international band with members from both U.S.A and Croatia that plays a mixture of raw black metal and ambient and this is a reviewing of their 2013 demo which was released by Symbol Of Domination Productions.

A distorted noise starts off the demo along with some acoustic guitars a few seconds later and on the second track elements of dark ambient and melodic chants are added into the music along with a couple of the tracks being long and epic in length and the spoken word aprts have a demonic tone to them.

Once grim screams are added into the music the recording starts going for a very fast and r aw black metal sound that uses a great amount of blast beats and the vocals also start getting more high pitched and suicidal at times while some parts they go into a deeper direction and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and some of the riffs also bring in a small amount of melody and they bring in ambient elements which they mix in with the more raw style of black metal.

Black Antlers plays a style of black metal that is very raw and underground while also mixing in ambient at times to make the music stand out a bit more, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover nature themes.

In my opinion Black Antlers are a very great sounding mixture of raw black metal and ambient and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Erasing hate" and "Inner Peace".

http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.ru/2015/12/black-antlersdemo-iiisymbol-of.html

C’est une collaboration entre un américain et un croate qui est l’oeuvre Black Antlers et c’est sur cette démo sortie en 2013 proposé par le label Symbol Of Domination Productions que nous allons nous attarder aujourd’hui.

Quatre titres pour environ vingt minutes d’un black metal très raw auquel vient s’allier une part très ambient.

On tape ici dans le purement underground avec dès le départ « Pure » qui introduit à la guitare folk afin de poser une douce touche avant que ne débute l’acharnement.

Parce que dès les premières notes de « Wert Des Lebens », on se rend bien compte que l’auditeur traversera un instant très lugubre.

Démarrage incantatoire avant que le black bien raw bien violent ne vienne sacrifier cet instant qui semblait jusqu’alors posé.

Une batterie démoniaque tabasse sur les riffs très ‘lames de rasoir’ et les vocaux bien mis en avant (un peu à la manière des premiers albums de Beherit) varient entre le très haut perché et perçant à vous endommager les tympans, le plus grogné, puis des variations plus graves.

Sur « Erasing Hate », l’intro ambient est intrigante avant que n’interviennent des riffs mélancoliques rendant le corps du morceau très Dsbm avec ces vocaux grinçants des plus torturés.

Le rythme, ensuite, s’acharne telle une attaque de démence et l’on revient à cette funéraire valse avant de terminer écrasé et étouffé par tant de hargne.

Et l’on termine doucement, sur une piste folk/ambient un peu à la Kraina Bez Wiatru, avec cette guitare acoustique et ces lourds rythmes, cet ensemble refermant de façon paisible et soporifique la page de ces vingt minutes alternant une cruelle haine et une ambiance atmosphérique.

Une démo qui ravira les amateurs d’ultra underground, à ceux qui ne regarderont pas la qualité sonore mais l’esprit des décombres, les dérangés en quête d’une bande son où le cerveau s’y retrouvera anéanti et aux amateurs de schizophrénie sonore.

http://www.magicfiremusic.net/2016/10/31/chronique-black-antlers-demo-iii/