Search - Heaven Shall Burn :: Antigone

Just go and buy it don't bother reading my review

L. Zimmerman | Nebraska | 06/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"ok u didn't listen, i'll keep it short these guys are awesome the meld so many different sounds like every other review has said before me, i hear some at the gates, in flames, soilwok and more, it's funny cause as fast and heavy as the whole damn cd is the intro , and the 2 outro's have to be heard to be believed they are so moving yet dark, i love this cd, my favorite songs are Architects of the Apocolypse, The dream is dead, and Not my god , as well as what i mentioned earlier the intro and outro's. whoeve buys this album will not be let down."

BRUTAL

Bryan Bugaj | California | 03/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have only begun listening to Heaven Shall Burn in the last few months or so, and my first purchse was the "In Battle..." disc, which I enjoyed but would not rate five stars. "Antigone", however, is another matter. On this disc, Heaven Shall Burn manage to combine a number of different metallic and non-metallic elements, yet still produce an album that hits like a ton of bricks. The band experiments with clean vocals, incorporates pianos into some of the songs, and enlists the aid of several guest artists, primarily to create an intro and two outros that are chilling and hauntingly beautiful, punctuated by melancholy violins and pianos. These instrumental pieces provide stark contrast to and give more atmosphere to the otherwise unrelenting barrage of bone-crunching metal. They also give you some time to catch your breath. This is some of the most devastating metal I have heard in a long time, forgoing so many of the niceties of modern metal and going straight for the jugular with all the subtlety of a wild elephant. Most of the songs aren't too fast, but they are full of jaw-dropping hooks, vicious dual-guitar frenzies, and hard-hitting bass drums and cymbal crashes. The singer, Marcus, does not have the stereotypical super-deep death metal voice, but rather he delivers his grim lyrics with a shrill, piercing scream that borders on the edges of human comprehension. The high points on this album for me are "Architects of the Apocalypse" and "Voice of the Voiceless", but really this album has no weaknesses. It doesn't get repetetive and the subject matter is quite varied. I love putting this disc on in my car and cranking the volume full blast and watching the more sensitive souls amongst us cringe at its sheer brutality. I cannot recommend this album highly enough for those who appreciate extreme metal. Raise those devil horns!



"

Melodic, terrifying, and ultimately uplifting metal....

Alexander Babbie | Dannemora, NY United States | 10/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having heard "The Weapon They Fear" on a metal compliation disc...I immeadiately went out and picked up Antigone....and truthfully it is one of most heartfelt, cathartic, and terrifying works I've ever heard. Now I don't mean terrifying in a goofy Slipknot scary mask way....or a silly pagan way AKA Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, etc....in fact it has nothing to do with their look....(which BTW is just 5 clean cut guys going about their business...no pretense at all)



So where do I get their terrifying sound? First, Mattias Voight's vocal ability is levels above most hardcore frontmen...and his voice is among the most honest. Simply put, if one could give a voice to all those that suffer and are subjugated in the world...it would be Mattias's voice. He sings with rage, pain, sadness, anger...and hope. He makes other metalcore singers look like they are posing...and don't really feel what they are singing about. The chorus on The Weapons They Fear..."Never to be silenced" exemplifies what im trying to clumsily say here.



Combine Mattias's ability with socially-aware, thoughtful lyrics about mankind's obsession with warfare, opression, etc...and that's where you get the terrifying...the terror that can be mankind. If I could sum it up...Heaven Shall Burn's music is like the witnessing the Holocaust without being able to do anything about it. Very angry, full of pain, honest, and never losing a slight glimmer of hope.



The music itself is very much like that of Killswitch Engage...albeit with a darker, more punishing sound...that always retains a sense of melody. If you like K.S.E...the actual instrumentation these guys put out is very similar and you will feel very at home.



The production is also very similar to a K.S.E. album...crunchy clean guitars, tight but booming bass drums, tuned down bass that comes alive at certain parts. Very well balanced (not too much bass, not too much treble) A very well done production.



All in all, a great, and extremely cathartic album...if you want to try something like K.S.E. but want to go harder and more punishing...go for this."