So if you are in the market for some good solid grindcore / death metal mixed with a bit of thrash then do yourself a favor and go have a listen to the latest release from the Brazilian band, ANTIDEMON. Formed in 1994 out of the city of São Paulo, this death metal band is one of the best in their specific genre. Their 2012 release that I am reviewing is entitled, ‘Apocalypse Now’ and straight off the bat it hits hard and fast in its skull crushing assault. Listening to this loud, which I advice being the only way to listen to this album, it has the ability to pulverize you with its relentless energy. Now I am not a big death metal fan, but this is well done. If I have to take one word in the dictionary to describe the overall package of this album, then the word BRUTAL, would be a sure winner.
After been smacked over my head with the first listen, and after regaining my senses from the pulverizing guitar and drum onslaught, I manage to carry my limped smacked body to push repeat on the player and get down to reviewing the album with caution.
Opening the album with the title track, “Apocalypse Now” they rush in guns all blazing with a murder of guitar riffs that drive fast and hard with intricacy and purpose. The drumming is superb, often technical and chaotic all at the same time. It’s pretty impressive indeed, and had my attention the whole way through, and considering the fact that death metal is not at the top of my list, an album of this caliber can make a convert of me.
“Infernal” comes in with menacing drumming followed by infectious nitrous fuel guitar playing. At times the drumming can be a little overpowering and distracting because of its often dominant thunderous contribution. This is not to say the drums are bad, just that sometimes the busy-ness of the drums can serve as interference to the rest of the instruments. “Welcome to death” is another thunderous explosion that gives the listener no time to rest. The song deals with the reality of those whom are paying for their sins, because of the choice they made. What also by the third song comes into play for me is that the bass guitar playing seems to hover in the back of the full frontal assault of the guitars and drums, making it extremely hard to judge the bass playing, but the overall effect works for them in this case I think. It allows the chaos and the brutality of the tracks to have a raw and energized edge to them that is for me a major strength in this album.
The songs seem to roll fluidly from one to the next never letting up the momentum of the album for a single moment. “Virus” comes in with a slow growl, before it engages the beast within again, and breaks lose into what comes across more thrash, with death overtones, than pure straight death metal. Actually like this song a lot, and certainly a high light of the album for myself – Some great drumming to boot too.
To a large degree the theme of the album seems to steer around the Book of Revelations. Thus the album drives with a prophetic edge. If I am to elaborate a little on it, you are faced with a choice to live for Christ or come to suffer the eternal separation from God that does come to those who choose not to accept Christ.
What I found at first amusing is that there is a death metal worship song on this album entitled, “Rei da Glória”, but there cannot be many of those around, so kudos to them to doing a worship song in this format. Again its quiet a onslaught on the senses, so whether you will really worship to it is debatable, but hey it’s relevant and original none the less.
Overall the album is a refreshing look into the Christian death metal scene and part of its success is that it’s very well produced, though the drums are very dominant for me, and can form a distraction against the other instruments. In short this album is a great demonstration and measuring stick of what death metal should sound like. It’s brutally aggressive, without being totally cacophonous. I think this will fare well in the scene and certainly looking at the various other death metal contributions out there for 2013, this shines brightly and is in some respects streets ahead of the pack, especially in the skull crushing department. I would stick my head out here by saying this is probably one of the best death metal albums around from what I have listened too. Also you’ll notice this is the highest rating I have ever given an album.
For fans of: Mortification
Rating: 9.5/10
Reviewed by Donovan de Necker
Tracklist:
1. Apocalypse Now
2. Infernal
3. Welcome to Death
4. Virus
5. Dominio
6. Fuera Diablo
7. Nao Tardara
8. Rei Da Gloria
9. Abominacao
10. Possuidos
11. Lamento
Line up:
Batista – Vocal/Bass
Juliana – Drums
Luis – Guitar
Record Label: Rowe Productions, 2012
Weblinks: Website / Facebook / Myspace
Interview With Antidemon [Sept. 2012]
Discography:
Antidemon, Demo [1994]
Confinamento Eterno, Demo [1997]
Antidemon 4 Anos, Demo [1998 ]
Demonicídio [1999]
Barad, Split [2001]
Anillo de Fuego [2003]
Live in Palencia – Spain [2004]
Extreme Fest Split DVD/video [2005]
Live in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru & Brazil DVD [2009]
Satanichaos [2009]
Anel de Demonichaos Live [2009]
Underblood Fest V, Split DVD/video [2010]
Apocalypse Now [2012]
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video below for “Virus”