Antagonist - Exist
Prosthetic Records - 2008
By Jason Wick
The Metal and Hardcore genres have been holding hands on and off for ages now, in a large variety of ways. One of the most common is the mending of thrash and hardcore in recent years. Finding acts that properly infuse these elements in their music has personally been a struggle for me. Fortunately, with Exist the act Antagonist has shinned a promising light on this fusion.
With a stronger focus on the melodic aspects of their music in tow this album has (in my opinion) risen above all of their past material. Treating the listener to rhythmic schemes true to the roots of both Thrash and Hardcore neatly tucked in under a fine finesse of melody; Antagonist leaves you with an experience that is faithful to their influence, yet original. This is quite the achievement in of itself, as most acts attempting to meld these musical entities have ended up creating a trail of monotony, leaving themselves with few distinguishing factors.
Great precision has gone into this material. The pacing is on the dot in terms of keeping you enthralled musically. Vocally everything feels like it belongs, another great feat when dealing with the large array of vocal styles displayed within Exist. The technical prowess offered comes through in uniform with the music as a whole, refusing to leave behind the ever important element of song writing. Everything leads to the next, and though it can be quite predictable, I can’t deem that as a bad thing when dealing with this style of metal. In the case of this album, this is simply a result of the entire release functioning as a whole.
In anticipation of their upcoming album World In Decline (due to be released on August eighteenth) , I give the men behind this band an understanding nod and an enthusiastic devil horn wielding fist in the air. Here’s to continued triumph down your path Antagonist.
Official Band Website
Official Band MySpace
Official Prosthetic Records Website
Prosthetic Records - 2008
By Jason Wick
The Metal and Hardcore genres have been holding hands on and off for ages now, in a large variety of ways. One of the most common is the mending of thrash and hardcore in recent years. Finding acts that properly infuse these elements in their music has personally been a struggle for me. Fortunately, with Exist the act Antagonist has shinned a promising light on this fusion.
With a stronger focus on the melodic aspects of their music in tow this album has (in my opinion) risen above all of their past material. Treating the listener to rhythmic schemes true to the roots of both Thrash and Hardcore neatly tucked in under a fine finesse of melody; Antagonist leaves you with an experience that is faithful to their influence, yet original. This is quite the achievement in of itself, as most acts attempting to meld these musical entities have ended up creating a trail of monotony, leaving themselves with few distinguishing factors.
Great precision has gone into this material. The pacing is on the dot in terms of keeping you enthralled musically. Vocally everything feels like it belongs, another great feat when dealing with the large array of vocal styles displayed within Exist. The technical prowess offered comes through in uniform with the music as a whole, refusing to leave behind the ever important element of song writing. Everything leads to the next, and though it can be quite predictable, I can’t deem that as a bad thing when dealing with this style of metal. In the case of this album, this is simply a result of the entire release functioning as a whole.
In anticipation of their upcoming album World In Decline (due to be released on August eighteenth) , I give the men behind this band an understanding nod and an enthusiastic devil horn wielding fist in the air. Here’s to continued triumph down your path Antagonist.
Official Band Website
Official Band MySpace
Official Prosthetic Records Website
