Before MTV’s Headbangers’ Ball presented the face of metal as thrash and glam, the early 80’s underground scene was a much more nasty place. Metal was, for the most part, a place for tough guys who didn’t care to wear lipstick or play faster-than-thou; the zeitgeist called for brutal guitar work and demonic howling from the likes of Grim Reaper and Iron Maiden.
The Antiprism, a mysterious black metal quartet rarely not seen wearing hooded cloaks and aviator sunglasses, would like to take you back in time 30 years ago to when the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal was influencing future platinum-selling bands; the fact that the drummer from Tormentula is banging the skins should tell you right away what to expect.
The crushing twin guitar attacks on tracks like “The Antiprism” and “Echoes Of The Silver Star” flow with a dark groovy Celtic Frost influence. “Exorcist” sounds like it was lifted from one of Slayer’s pre-Reign In Blood albums; hopefully Kerry King won’t ask for his songs back. Alternating growling male and demonic female vocals from guitarist Alex and drummer Kristine on many of the songs ensure that this isn’t the sausage party that nearly all metal bands from that era were.
The Antiprism’s self-titled debut is one of the better CDs to come out of the Madison rock scene in the past year, and the high quality of the recording ensures lots of repeated listens for extended headbanging and neck sprains. Younger metalheads used to the likes of death and nu-metal can get a taste of what they missed out on, and older headbangers who can still whip around whatever hair is left on their receding hairlines will find themselves on a trip down memory lane.
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