Finland’s Antipope have never been afraid to explore multiple metal genres. Having formed in 2004, “Doors Of The Dead” represents the bands’ seventh full length release and finds them continuing to meld black, death and progressive metal sounds whilst keeping core classic heavy metal influences close at hand.

That classic style is immediately apparent on opening track “Magisteria” with its’ strong post 2000 Iron Maiden vibe. Twin guitars provide a full sound as a dense black metal explosion builds creating a sense of grandiosity and high drama. “The Maker” follows in the same vein; Paul Di’Anno era Maiden looms large as the riffage becomes more raw creating some chunky, thrashier moments. Mikko Myllykangas’ vocals have a nice edge although at times seem to lack that extra range to match the musical drama that unfolds. Melody is key to Antipope’s sound and it shows on tracks like “Brotherhood Of Babylon” and “Religion With No Name”. The fast pace and soaring rhythms are attention grabbing before the more thrash oriented explorations of “The Ritual Of Snake And Dove” where the intricacies of the riffs bring Megadeth to mind.

What the band do very well is combine several genres into one cohesive sound. They manage to keep the rawness of Iron Maiden’s first two albums yet provide an almost progressive, symphonic power. “Treasure Of The Deep” shows this to full effect as a commercial accessibility shines through like a darker version of Ghost. Warm folk tones come to the fore on “Sacrifice” as melancholy and reflective moods emerge before the mandatory epic closing title track. Coming in just shy of 10 minutes, all the drama and sonic scope is on show and could well be out of the latter day Maiden songbook. A much stronger vocal performance helps a song that is custom made for audience participation as Viking metal tones reminiscent of Amon Amarth appear.

“Doors Of The Dead” is a strong album and showcases Antipope at their best. A sense of their own identity is apparent as genre constraints haven’t confined them. The concise, focussed nature of each track combines into a naturally full sounding album that flows and engages the listener completely.

(7.5/10 Johnny Zed)

https://www.facebook.com/Antipope

https://moribundrecords.bandcamp.com/album/doors-of-the-dead