Anything to do with Abbey ov Thelema interests me. The duo that comprise this band are part of Nevaloth, another black metal band from Slovakia. I like the simplicity of the description of this album: “a conceptual work concerning the literary and cultural archetype of the mythological universal villain, or the Antagonist”. There’s nothing simple about the album itself.
Atmospheric beginnings send out signals of darkness. An eruption occurs and precedes an all-out black metal assault. I have images of chaos, walls coming down, crumbling buildings. The chorus has majesty. The guitars and controlled drums vary the pace. We have a monster on our hands here. “Aeon of Iconoclasm” leads to “Moment of Apostasy” – what else – and chaos erupts once more. No image is too extreme. It’s stormy, turbulent and bordering on insanity. Drums trigger while guitars blaze bleakly. It then takes off in an explosive riot of crashing objects. Keyboards scream. Bad day at the office or what? It’s violent and murderous yet musically coherent as all players contribute to the massacre out there. But now it’s off to war. Drums beat ominously. There’s a touch of Polish harshness about “The Anagnorosis”. Strident notes take over, a piano cascades, and the drums trigger away. It’s unbelievable fun. A strong retort is needed. Desperate and urgent cries accompany another rampant instrument fest but this time it rises majestically. The feel is given off of a concept album as we head into guitar wonderland but not for the sake of it. Dare I call this progressive? The synth and guitar sounds which sweep majestically above the barren landscape, creating an awesome scene. There are elements of one of my favourite bands Persefone but this is darker and more catastrophic.
“Philosophy of a Noble Mind” moves away from the avant-garde side towards a purer form of black metal. There are dark rumblings. The tension heightens. Sparks fly, the keyboard rings like broken glass before the urgency transforms once more into dark majesty. The guitar work is imperial. Even melancholy peers through this most unsympathetic work. A thunderous march begins. I hear an air of Mayhem in the steady progress of the guitar which runs though “The Abjection”. It’s short but atmospheric. “Lightbearer Emperor” is both epic and anarchic. Inevitably the scene is harsh. Roaring growls and screams alternate. The piano symbolises insanity. It’s mayhem and without focus in its swirling darkness. Yet there’s time to be quiet and moody as the track takes on a sad and symphonic edge. A Central European form of warfare is developing here. There’s a moment of delicacy after the apocalypse but not for long. Steady patterns mingle with military muscle. Obscure moods, furious fires, epic symphonies and manic vocal screams all add up to the discomfort. It’s either avant-garde or difficult – take your pick. I missed the “joy” in “Sorrow and Joy”. From that the scene transforms into the eccentric, nightmarish sounds of “Herostratic Fate”, another expanse of horror and turbulence. Silence and minimalism put in a rare appearance. The vocalist croaks as if he’s operating from a swamp. This distorted and deathly tune becomes more and more desperate and chaotic. It ends rapidly. I was becoming lost. Grumbling metal funereal sounds signal “The Apotheosis”. There are sounds of echoing, feedback-fuelled death. There are elements of doom. Nothing nice, of course. If anything is clear, it’s the sense of destruction in the rotting and funeral progress. And so it fades out after 56 minutes of atmospheric extremity.
I admit that “The Antagonist” lost me in parts. It’s complex, but it’s a brilliantly conceived album. The musicianship is sublime. This is not darkness for the sake of it. With its soundscapes and majestic structures, it’s an extreme album of epic proportions.
(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
https://www.facebook.com/nevaloth
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