Antaeus Blood Libels
Ajna Offensive FLAME039 September 6th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
Whats on tap here is a ferocious, malicious slab of French black metal from a seasoned outfit. Blood Libels is the third full-length installment after 2000s Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan and 2002s De Principii Evangelikum and while Ive only been fortunate enough to have been on board with Antaeus since DPE, their latest is a more compelling release on the whole.
The packaging, first of all, is exquisite spot gloss digipak with liner notes that have onionskin sheets placed in between photographs and lyrics. In opening the digipak, the mood is set when reading the text, opposite the CD tray, that rests under the bands logo, which states, We Hope You Die. The music matches those sentiments. Playing a furious, intense, and caustic form of BM, Antaeus relay a bulk of their material at breakneck speed, but somehow, its all incredibly captivating. Songs like Cyklic Torture, Colliding in Ashes, and Blood Libels are fast from the get-go, while others such as Control and Abuse, Word As Weapons, Here Is Punishment, and Gates to the Outside arent quite as accelerated from the outset, while some simply take their time getting up to speed with the rest of their ilk. Of course the production isnt immaculate, but is excellent insofar as each instrument has unmistakable clarity, which gives every component room to breath without sacrificing the level of aggression that Blood Libels repeatedly boasts.
All in all, Antaeus are a punishing unit that have proven their capabilities again and again BL being yet more evidence that Frances black metal underground is a force to be reckoned with. Highly recommended to all fans of fast, intense BM.
Official Antaeus Website
Official Ajna Offensive Website
Ajna Offensive FLAME039 September 6th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
Whats on tap here is a ferocious, malicious slab of French black metal from a seasoned outfit. Blood Libels is the third full-length installment after 2000s Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan and 2002s De Principii Evangelikum and while Ive only been fortunate enough to have been on board with Antaeus since DPE, their latest is a more compelling release on the whole.
The packaging, first of all, is exquisite spot gloss digipak with liner notes that have onionskin sheets placed in between photographs and lyrics. In opening the digipak, the mood is set when reading the text, opposite the CD tray, that rests under the bands logo, which states, We Hope You Die. The music matches those sentiments. Playing a furious, intense, and caustic form of BM, Antaeus relay a bulk of their material at breakneck speed, but somehow, its all incredibly captivating. Songs like Cyklic Torture, Colliding in Ashes, and Blood Libels are fast from the get-go, while others such as Control and Abuse, Word As Weapons, Here Is Punishment, and Gates to the Outside arent quite as accelerated from the outset, while some simply take their time getting up to speed with the rest of their ilk. Of course the production isnt immaculate, but is excellent insofar as each instrument has unmistakable clarity, which gives every component room to breath without sacrificing the level of aggression that Blood Libels repeatedly boasts.
All in all, Antaeus are a punishing unit that have proven their capabilities again and again BL being yet more evidence that Frances black metal underground is a force to be reckoned with. Highly recommended to all fans of fast, intense BM.
Official Antaeus Website
Official Ajna Offensive Website
