Antiquus – Eleutheria

Man, was I ever wrong about this band. Most the time, I get CDs from acts that I am not familiar with. This was the case with Antiquus, and from looking at their cover of “Eleutheria”, I was expecting some sort of namby-pamby progressive space-metal. However, this disc starts out with “O Captain, My Captain”, and starts in a way that will get individuals immediately into the music.

The band plays a style of catchy metal that reminds me of the storytelling style of bands like Rush and “Operation Mindcrime”-era Queensryche, while having the intensity of any power metal act. What results is an act in Antiquus that will please the prog heads while still holding a candle to the metal of a Cannibal Corpse. Oh, and did I say that a track like “O Captain, My Captain” will have individuals singing along? Anqiuus really puts a strong foot forward with the opening of “Eleutheria”, and the fact that this track is well over six minutes long will not be enough to dissuade individuals from listening on further. By the end of the experience that is “O Captain, My Captain”, individuals are exhausted. However, the band does not back off, as the title track follows up with the same sort of intensity. The track may be all different, creating a Middle Eastern sound to things, but the fury and power of the act is really couched here in their ability to construct a framework the logically leads from the more pensive to the same fury that marked “O Captain, My Captain”. The progressions present during the title track are a sight to behold (or a sound to be experienced).

While some of the different elements seem disparate and hard to fit together, the ability of Antiquus during this track is shown, as the song is a six minute romp through styles that ends as strongly as the prior track. “Meta Incognita” is a track that shows off Antiquus’s instrumental ability (even though individuals already knew how talented they were by the first two salvos of the disc). “Eleutheria” is a full album that showcases what metal is about; Antiquus is one of the few acts that I would trust with crafting an eleven-minute song (“I Am Alive”) and will be one of the few albums that I keep around after I get done reviewing it. Buy this from the band or Cruz Del Sur.

Top Track: I Am Alive

Rating: 7.8/10

[JMcQ]

Antiquus – Eleutheria / 2007 Cruz Del Sur / 8 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/antiquus / Reviewed 23 May 2007