ANTESTOR
The Forsaken
Endtime Productions
2004
When it comes to extreme metal, be it death metal, thrash, black metal, or the many amalgomated forms therein, a fan can find themselves sifting through a lot of ho-hum, mediocre bands and albums that have been hyped up by the community as being the next big thing, but ultimately turns out to be listened to a couple of times and then shuffled off to the Island of Misfit Metal CDs in the collection, gathering dust and taking up space. When it comes to Christian extreme metal, the ratio between Mediocre vs. Great CDs grows considerably. I cannot tell you how many times I've been burned by a purchase of some Christian band that was supposedly the big hot and heavy metal CD that would dominate my player for months on end, only to discover that the hype was all it was- hype.
Antestor, fortunately, is one band that does not fall in the mediocre catagory. Seemingly growing in quality with each successive album, they've always managed to blow me away with their eye for detail in that hit-or-miss genre they've dubbed "Sorrow Metal". With the fairly recent The Forsaken, they've really outdone themselves, in my not-so-humble opinion. Once again enlisting the simply amazing drumming talent of Hellhammer (something I reference as proof that GOD has a sense of humor...look it up), Antestor has forged something that resonates for hours after the last track has finished playing. Building on what was hinted at on the previous EP Det Tapte Liv, The Forsaken hits a fine balance between brutal extremities and dark emotional resonance. The first track, "Rites Of Death", begins with 30 seconds of the most haunting, beautiful female vocals before it rips your throat out. Clearly, the band has managed to do the seemingly impossible- crafting a brutal, dark, atmospheric and, dare I say, epic Christian album that will scare the pants off of you one minute, then hypnotize you with its passionate textures. It will make you forget where you are, and guide you down the path into a chaotic and surreal world.
I have to thank Sesspool and Eternal Requiem for talking me into obtaining this album. Without any kind of hyperbole, I maintain that The Forsaken is the best extreme metal album put out this decade, century, and / or millennia. Not only recommended, buy dare I say, required...
| scottmitchell74 (Guest) | 9.0 / 10 | Mon 17 Sep 07 |
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I agree....it's nearly perfect!
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| durandal (Guest) | 10.0 / 10 | Sat 19 May 07 |
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Why did they have to break up now?
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