While ANTANIA have been around for just 8 months now, it’s good to see they are still tinkering with their sound, with some definite hints towards a more Black Metal / Trap approach at times in their latest release The God Complex. As a result, this is a lean towards the heaviest output to date, with some veering between death metal, bass music and other Industrial elements creating a wider sound than their previous release Lividity.
They continue to display their influences proudly in their music, with the mid-album track Black Glitch Six sounding like the bastard offspring of Trap and Industrial, while opener The God Complex has a more brooding approach, resonating with an evil sound that weaves a genuine sense of being ill at ease with a foreboding in the same sense as SLAYER‘s God Hates us All or the early sound of The Prodigy. Gotta love a band with a range like that.
Video: The God Complex
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGdfgmVw-gE&pp=sAQB
The variety brought in has allowed them that opportunity to be more expansive, too, as some of the choruses are absolutely huge. For what is a second full release from the Californian married duo, it shows a remarkable level of clarity in chasing their muse, the willingness to experiment with their sound and take some risks, whilst still remaining true in core to the roots laid down at the beginning, Doom Bass.
Looking at favorite songs, the likes of D3D Solz looks at issues addressing us all in terms of how the death of a loved one can affect you, showing that the band are not afraid to address issues important to them. Other favorites to date in Angels and Demons III, Trophy and song Antania all serve to highlight different aspects of their approach to the writing of the music part of this album. Antania does all this while remaining jet black and completely EVIL. This shows a strong awareness of their intent during creation, as well as their need to demonstrate exactly what was in their minds.
The God Complex is a great body of work that anyone with an interest in the likes of Author and Punisher, among the many other similar artists, should be looking to add to their collection. There’s a variance to Antania’s writing throughout the album to provide all the dips and highs you could both want and expect from this style of music without any loss in the clarity of what they have wanted to create. Despite what are clearly varied influences, it sits as an accomplished body of work and has a fantastic maturity in songwriting to have become the piece that it is.
Nice to hear ultra dark music that doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard before. 8/10 stars
Find Antania on tour with Psyclon Nine in Europe this spring.
The God Complex Spring Tour
03/16 Fitzgerald’s Bar-San Antonio, TX
03/18 RockHouse-El Paso, TX
04/30 Whisky-Hollywood, CA
Support Psyclon Nine
05/18 Klub Pod Minoga-Poznań, Poland
05/ 20 Backstage Club-Munich, Germany
05/ 22 Kulttempel-Oberhausen, Germany
05/24 O’Sullivan’s–Paris, France
05/26 Le Ferrailleur Nantes, France
