Antiquus: Eleutheria

Giving a band a name that's difficult to pronounce is bad enough; making almost an entire CD based on a mutinied ship captain's fictionalized journal entry from 1474 may make you want to give up entirely on Canada's Antiquus before you've even heard the first track from this young progressive/power-metal outfit. Doing so, however, would be regrettable.

Eleutheria is epic but not over the top, boasting a muscular six-part song cycle set on the high seas that seems beyond the capabilities of a band only on its second album. Vocalist Jesse White remains in his range most of the time and doesn't do melodrama, while drummer Andrew Bak realizes galloping double-bass kicks don't necessarily make a metal song better. A dual-guitar attack occasionally gives way to evocative acoustic styling and elevates Antiquus above many of its head-banging peers simply because of the band's thoughtfulness and depth. Rounding out the album are a pair of stand-alone songs that are just as powerful as the concept piece preceding it.

With Eleutheria, the band seems to be making all the right moves, including hiring mixer Larry Anschell (Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains) and mastering magician Goran Finnberg (In Flames, Soilwork). Sail on, Antiquus. Sail on…

Track Listing:
1) I-O Captain, My Captain
2) II-Eleutheria
3) III-Meta Incognita
4) IV-Redemption
5) V-I'm Alive
6) VI-Leaves of Grass
7) Mechanismo
8) KT Event

Added: January 26th 2007
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
Related Link: Cruz Del Sur Music
Hits: 3663
Language: english

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