Last Friday was a busy day for metal. You may have heard that Metallica released their long-awaited new album and that Lamb of God's new EP is finally available for purchase. There was also a number of more releases with varying significance from Protest the Hero, Ion Dissonance, and more. However, one of the more criminally overlooked releases was the new album from French black metal veterans, Antaeus.
Antaeus has been operating out of central France since 1994 and has a long discography filled with numerous demos, splits, and albums. Their newest full-length, Condemnation, saw its unveiling through French label, Norma Evangelium Diaboli. This nine-song effort is filled to the brim with deathly orchestrations of blackened chaos, making a strong case for the best release of the past week. Condemnation roars with ferocity and violence. Songs like "Angles of Despair" and "Symmetry of Strangers" showcase this sentiment brilliantly, from a personal perspective. MkM (vocals) and Set (guitars) recruited Menthor (of Nightbringer and Enthroned fame) to unleash an inhuman wave of drumming over the record. The trio's resultant collaboration is a menacing blast of metal that echoes Satanic radiance over the course of 40-plus minutes.
In case you needed another album to add to your list of things to buy, Condemnation can be purchased through either the label's site or Antaeus's Bandcamp page. While you are at it, I highly recommend checking out Martröð and their first release, Transmutation of Wounds. It features Antaeus vocalist, MkM as well as an all-star lineup of musicians from bands such as Leviathan, Blut Aus Nord, Kreig, and Skaphe.
