Antimatter - Planetary Confinement

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Forest: Sold Out
Jul 5, 2003
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Antimatter – Planetary Confinement
The End Records – TE059 – July 26th, 2005
By Jason Jordan

antimatter.jpg


Those of us lucky enough to be accustomed to The End’s catalog know what we’re getting into with each subsequent release. As a matter of fact, groups such as Agalloch and Antimatter don’t just lace their material with moroseness, they seem to thrive on it. Planetary Confinement, as any conjecture will tell you, is no different, and this excursion is a glorious look into beautiful, enticing despondency.

The Antimatter tag-team is no more, since Duncan Patterson (Ion, ex-Anathema) bowed out following this release. However, lamenters will be consoled upon learning that Mick Moss is in for the long haul. At any rate, individuals who favor continuity above all will be irked by Planetary Confinement’s structure. Patterson and Moss alternate, and there are idiosyncratic traits to be grouped with each. On the one hand, Patterson’s opuses are littered with female vox while the scaffolding consists of keyboards and inconspicuous, acoustic guitars. On the other, Moss’s compositions feature prominent, acoustic guitars melded with Moss’s vocals, which make for enjoyable, somber numbers. Overall, I prefer Moss to Patterson; “Legions,” a downloadable track, is so sullen and brilliant that it’s overwhelming. Tissue anyone? Besides that, though, Antimatter really surpassed my expectations with this one.

To be fair, it’d be a lie if I claimed that Planetary Confinement weren’t my introduction to the band. If the remainder of their discography is as alluring as this latest piece, then I’m sure to seek it out. Agalloch fans will certainly been pacified during the aforementioned’s full-length, dry spell. And – come to think of it – quite a few records from The End emanate majestic, sulky overtones; do they ever have an off year?

8.5/10

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I get a kick of how metalheads are scrambling to come up with metal analogies for this like "acoustic doom" and such. The musicians who immediately came to my mind when listening to this were Simon and Garfunkel...I defy anyone to deny it. Lots of overtones of "Sound of Silence" and "Scarborough Fair".

That long, drawn out last track I found to be incredibly sad and mesmerizing...by far, the highlight of the CD for me. o_O