Album Review: Ante-Inferno - Fane
Reviewed by Neil Bolton
We have all been to festivals or pub gigs when an unknown black metal band takes to the stage only to spend 30 minuets with the drummer attempting blast beats, and a vocalist who just makes the standard noises and screams, it got boring very quick in the 80's and is still boring now.
Fortunately Ante-Inferno are not this band at all.
These Yorkshire lads have competent song writing skills and enough musicianship to create interesting atmospheric black metal. The first song on this seven track debut is 'Fane' and it is the obligatory intro, thankfully it's not dull. 'Oath' is the first real song and it gives the boys a chance to show us what they’re about. Screaming vocals haunt over a traditional black metal beat very well, we eventually slow down to a doom riff with a guitar solo to follow. This is an epic opening number that’s has darker and lighter shades, while maintaining always a menacing tone. A tone that is carried through the whole album.
'Passing' blasts away again, fast, black and aggressive, showing their capable black metal talent. We move on to 'Return' a track that shows off vocalist K.B.’s deeper sounding growls. An atmospheric section to the end of the track once again proves my point. 'Absence' is a creative little track sitting here as a small respite from the brutality to follow. When the next track 'Worship' starts it will scare the shit out of you if you have relaxed too much during the instrumental track before. Take this as a warning. Loud, fast and aggressive. A track that the band say “is a timely reminder that the old Gods were often far from kind”. Once again not just noise and blast beats but an enlightening mix of fast and less fast.
The final track 'Fragments' you just know will be an epic conclusion to a very good album. M.Z. on guitars along with G.S. on drums and N.L. on bass join K.B.s vocals and guitars to provide excellent metal, be it black or atmospheric. If you did indeed see any under par black metal band at a festival or local gig and left disappointed, but were happy to stay and listen to a band such as Winterfylleth you will stay with this band and enjoy the delights of their well crafted music.
'Fane' is release on UKEM Records on May 1st.
