Antestor
The Forsaken

Antestor - "The Forsaken", here is the subject of the review.

If you're wondering who Antestor are, well, the answer is simple. They are, together with Crimson Moonlight, the leading band of the unblack metal movement (you can also call it white metal or whatever you like, we don't care too much), that is, the genre that inexplicably combines black metal music with Christian themes dealing with the defeat of Satan and evil. But we both know we're not here to query people's religious beliefs but rather to critique a musical product: well, let's start by saying that this MUSICAL PRODUCT is beautiful, violent, technical, passionate, and dark.

The musicians in this band, which disbanded years ago, go by the names of Vemond (a skilled guitarist capable of delivering solid riffs ranging from black to death while never shying away from hints of doom), Gard (a bassist with decent technique capable of keeping up with a badass drummer whom we'll introduce shortly), Sygmoon (a keyboardist with infinite class who delights throughout the album's duration in building gloomy and dark atmospheres), Vrede on scream (fanatical and desperately intense), behind the drums none other than a certain Hellhammer, drummer of Mayhem, Arcturus, The Kovenant, and many more and last but not least the second guitarist, the lead guitarist, Bjorn Leren, capable of delivering extremely captivating neoclassical solos throughout the songs, whether he holds a guitar or a classic one.

Opened by the graceful voice of another luxury guest, Ann-Mari Edvardse, we are introduced to "The Forsaken" through the song "Rites Of Death", a very fast-paced symphonic black piece based on a frantic search for speed in the rhythm section, with Hellhammer's double bass drum shining throughout the track, but also with valuable guitar riffs and solos supporting a fantastic scream that contributes significantly to the final result. The following track, "Old Times Cruelty", presents an extremely relaxing intro thanks to Bjorn's classical guitars, from which then erupts a piece in full Emperor style with atmospheric parts alternating with much more frantic ones, all always enriched by screams and growl vocals that make the track much tastier. Beautiful drum counter-times further embellish the piece along with choirs that give the track an even heavier and darker atmosphere, almost horror-like.

The journey continues with "Via Dolorosa", one of the best tracks of the entire album, introduced by some keyboard and guitar notes, supported by the drums that almost have a marching cadence. From the 44th second, you are catapulted into a song straddling black and gothic (inspired by Cradle of Filth at their best, those from "Midian") that finds its happiest moment in the chorus, foregrounded by the drums along with the screamer's voice. The instrumental piece, Raade, is pleasant and relaxing, acting as a prelude to "The Crown I Carry" which, with its initial thrash-flavored approach, presents itself as the most changeable track in the lot, with its chorus of pure black to which more melodic parts then connect, also thanks to the precious contribution of Sygmoon's piano. Splendid guitar solos in the middle and end of the track. The following 4 minutes and 21 seconds are once again noteworthy: "Betrayed" turns out to be another goal scored by our guys, thanks especially to the keyboard work: despair, coldness, and violence of the screams will engulf the listener, lulled at the same time by the melodies woven by guitars and keyboards, this time the true protagonists of the song.

This brings us to what may be the most difficult piece of the album to digest: "Vale Of Tears" presents itself with a very slow pace, underscored by an extremely cadenced and "broken" drum that, together with the guitars, contributes to giving a sensation of slowness. Halfway through, the track transforms into a blast of symphonic black that slightly denatures the initial work. A beautiful song, but certainly not the best. Moving on to "The Return", I confirm how much this work is indeed worth, thanks to a scrupulous and accurate rhythmic/melodic exploration. Hellhammer's work once again proves truly astonishing, supporting a piece extremely representative of the entire musical scene of which our warriors are a part. The instrumental part, truly moving, deserves applause.

However, "As I Die" turns out to be negligible, in which the group falls into a sort of compositional confusion, only to recover in the finale entrusted to the instrumental "Mitt Hjerte" where Bjorn demonstrates all his skill in the execution/composition phase.

I feel compelled to recommend listening to this album with your eyes closed, even to those who may have prejudices due to the band's shamelessly Christian faith. But if you can look beyond that, you will discover a truly captivating and engaging album, rich in nuances that will certainly make you happy.

(sorry if I've gone on a bit too long)