Akercocke, since 2000's debut album “Rape Of The Bastard Nazarene” have built up a solid reputation in extreme metal. Every successive release has seen the band stretch further creatively, right up to 2005's “Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone” album where I felt the band hit a creative peak. That was always going to be a tough album to follow so how does “Antichrist” measure up? Not just to the last album but to Akercocke's entire discography.

I’m not going to do this song by song. I’m just going to ramble a bit and hope that I can explain why “Antichrist” is the best album Akercocke has done and why it should feature on more than a few year end lists.

The one thing that hits you straightaway is the production. Don’t believe the hype. It’s not bad at all. It's just a little lo-fi. Turn the fucking volume up and you’ll be fine. Now that that’s got out the way, the music. If you thought “Words… “ saw the band diversify into different sounds, then you haven’t heard anything yet. When the band is raging they sound like Behemoth, only it's not as over produced as Behemoth and there are more black metal bits than death metal. The guitar duo of Jason Mendonca and Matt Wilcock fucking kill on this album. Whether it's tearing their way through heavy chugging riffs, laying down chaoticlead guitar over some fierce death metal riffing or just playing some clean guitar. Jason Mendonca has become a stunning vocalist. Growling, shrieking, singing clean or doing his spoken word thing. His performance on “Antichrist” is the best I’ve heard in awhile. Drummer David Gray comes into his own on “Antichrist.” A pummeling yet incredibly tasteful job behind the drum kit. The band's Avante Garde leanings are even more pronounced on the new album and Akercocke are absolutely fearless on “Antichrist.” Case in pointbeing the superb almost Thought Industry (circa Short Wave on a Cold Day era) like pop guitar melody that pops up in the middle of a heavy as fuck Akercocke song.

Akercocke for me is truly the one band that is the natural heir to the legacy of Celtic Frost. I don’t make such a comparison lightly but the ambition of this band and their ever increasing affinity for the Avante Garde and most importantly, their ability to meld the Avante Garde so seamlessly with the raw extremity of their music brings a comparison to my mind with the Swiss legends.

There comes a time in the lives of most bands when every member is at the top of his game. When the collective can do no wrong. “Antichrist” is the work of such a band. Supremely confident in their abilities and absolutely fearless in their execution.



Label – Earache
Year of Release – 2007