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Tracklist
1. Black Messiah
2. Summon The Antichrist
3. Axiom
4. The Promise
5. My Apterous Angel
6. Distant Fires Reflect The Eyes Of Satan
7. Man Without Faith Or Trust
8. The Dark Inside
9. Footsteps Resound In An Empty Chapel
10. Epode
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Avant-garde blackened death metal heathens Akercocke enjoy a reputation as one of the most groundbreaking acts to take up the style. Fans felt the band had set a new precedent with its last effort, “Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone,” but for the most part, Akercocke is still a largely unrecognized act. New bassist Peter Benjamin brings a freshly malevolent talent into the band, those concerened the lineup shift may harm Akercoke need worry no more. If nothing else, the shift in personnel has strengthened the lineup even further.
If one compared Akercocke to black metal as Opeth to death metal, you’d have a nice frame of reference as to where this group is coming from. Satanic gentlemen, ties well-knotted and prone to spout off melodic interludes while preparing to sacrifice animals congregate here to spread to good word of pure evil. More serious black metalheads largely take Akercocke as a joke, while the backpacker black metal fans find the band to be all the rage, the place where the intellectual Crowley meets the most low-brow of blasters and grunters.
Quite all over the place in their delivery, Akercocke utilize starkly awkward transitions, leaping from a Morbid Angel lick to acidhead darkwave and back as if this were normal behavior. “Antichrist” focuses on not only external observations of evil, but introspective oaths to enlightenment of the greatest creative order. “Summon The Antichrist,” “My Apertus Angel” and “The Promise” each step outside the circle that’s reigned in the Satanic perspective in music for two decades. Deliberately unafraid to experiment with varied textures and focusing upon ambience, not attack serves Akercocke well. When compared to other forms of music that are considered as being progressive, Akercocke takes such experimentation to extremes, becoming so vastly different in their sonic presence, the group threatens alienation of core audiences.
Still, based purely upon aesthetic, Akercocke certainly offer a sense of adventure that is simply lacking in extreme music. Certainly not inclined to herd-following, the group does much to build upon its reputation for innovation in extreme music with “Antichrist.” By no means is this a masterpiece, but it’s yet another strong outing for an outfit which, given the legs, will enjoy a nice long run as one of metal’s most subversive bunch of musical philosophers.
Review by: E.F.
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