Antrisch sets sail.
For their third album, Expedition III: Renitenzpfad, the band comprising Maurice Wilson (vocals), Robert Falcon Scott (guitar), « Otto Schmidt » (bass), Noel Ewart Odell (drums), and Alexander Gordon Laing (guitar)—has joined the AOP Records roster.
We kick off the album with Conquista – Prolog, the opening track that begins with a few words in German set to a gentle melody, but the intensity doesn’t take long to kick in, and screams soon accompany a furious rhythm section. The harmonics eventually calm the storm, but the vocalist remains just as possessed, unleashing visceral roars at every turn as the riffs kick back into high gear, slowing down once more for a hazy break before finally letting the lead guitar charge forward into the infernal Hidalgo – Der baskische Wolf. The atmosphere is different, offering immediately more oppressive tones that even color the violent passages with waves of oppression—sometimes slightly haunting, or even hypnotic—when the clean sound returns to haunt us before the final charge, followed by the captivating Nattern & Narren – Los Marañones I, a theatrical composition where the musicians develop a rather dissonant, misty sound. Certain more martial sections still punctuate the march, introducing not only a break but also a sudden acceleration that leads into Bittergruen – Los Marañones II, where the atmosphere is once again different, blending melancholy and heaviness as the vocalist lets loose, delivering a rich and, above all, intensely powerful performance. The contrast between his shouting and the attention paid to the melodies is perfect, but it is once again the mystery that imposes itself on us with Abkehr – Non svfficit orbis, the longest of the compositions, and its intoxicating introduction that quickly transforms into a veil of darkness. The violence is often interrupted by an unusual calm, reminiscent of a ship stranded in a storm, then battered once more by the elements before finding calm again during the vocal sample, only to finally open its eyes to Verschanzt – Perleneilandterror after a minute of exposition, and find itself once again under assault, whether by the massive drums or the biting riffs. Even the moments of stillness feel heavy, unsettling, and one almost feels better during the frantic passages like the last one, which leads into Canis lvpvm edit – Wolfsfalle I Verratener Verräter and its pyre—the album’s final stage, which highlights tranquility just as effectively as the more energetic riffs, but which will also eventually be confronted by silence.
Antrisch’s journey is far from a calm, peaceful ride. Extremely varied and dynamic, Expedition III: Renitenzpfad takes us on a true adventure through darkness, but also through gentleness and unease, as well as the gripping rage that drives the musicians.
90/100