ANTILEBEN — Anti-Human Death Vessel (review)

ANTILEBEN — Anti-Human Death Vessel album cover

Demo · 2007 · Black Metal

3/5 · 2020-02-19
siLLy puPPy

While Scandinavian black metal may evoke the frigid cold winters of the great north and has become the mecca of such extreme metal, it’s easy to forget that there are much greater regions of North America around the Arctic Circle that finds some remote settlements even more isolated from the rest of the world. So why no black metal explosions in say Greenland? Well, there are a few here and there actually but rarely become known on the larger scene. Here’s one example. Canada’s Northwest Territories is huge at over a million square kilometers but only has a population of over 41K with most being indigenous First Nations. However even there exist a few depressed individuals that find their outlet through extreme music.

ANTILEBEN (German for anti-life) is or was or who knows actually, a one-man project by a disturbed soul named Acrimonia who played in two other Canadian bands: Etheric Void and Caligninous, both from Ontario. How this multi-instrumentalist got stuck all the way in Yellowknife is anyone’s guess but he did release one four track demo as ANTILEBEN while there. The capital city if you can call it that only hosts a mere 20K inhabitants so it’s no wonder music is the preferred escapism of choice. This one demo titled ANTI-HUMAN DEATH VESSEL was released in 2007 before Acrimonia worked with other acts. Despite only four tracks, they are all quite distinct although nothing on this one will qualify as ground-breaking for sure.

“Selbstopfer” is a melodic atmospheric black metal track that takes a plodding repetitive cyclical loop on keys along with distorted guitar dropped way down in the mix along with Acrimonia’s pissed cat screaming sessions which sounds something like the earliest Negura Bunget material. Also the debut Summoning album comes to mind as well. The track is actually well constructed as it involves key changes, tempo build ups and nice melodic tension. “Teutobod” is a much more aggressive track with an excessively lo-fi production job that finds the guitar barely audible but a bouncing bass being abused with blastbeats. The keys are dominant as they construct a haunting melody while the incessant screams bellow from the underworld. Also not bad.

“Kaunan” is much more Teutonic feeling with almost a death march type of militant Darkthrone feel but also goes through more dissonant detached segments that are right out of the Blut Aus Nord playbook especially on albums like “MorT.” The final track “Eine Dunkle Gestalt” takes on an industrial sound as a programmed drum beat provides the incessant rhythmic drive. This one has the most prominent guitar sounds with tremolo picking in conjunct with the bass. Some slower parts alternate with dissonant jangle guitar antics. The demo is over before you know but leaves me wanting more.

I have to admit i only checked this out to experience some metal from a far flung placed like Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada but it immediately becomes apparent that geography is irrelevant in the 21st century. This sounds like it could’ve emerged anywhere from Norway, Sweden, Finland or given the language involved here, Germany. This is as lo-fi and indie as black metal gets and i love the nice rampaging heavy parts alternating with the twisted surreality of the slower paced segments. Overall this is a really good demo but unfortunately ANTILEBEN doesn’t really add any unique stamp to these four tracks but it certainly is an entertaining 15 minutes while it lasts and recommended for anyone who can’t get enough of these lo-fi one man black metal projects.