Black metal quintet Antre have found beauty in the rawness of black metal. The atmospheric group build atmospheres that, while pretty, don’t seek to make black metal lush and melodic; songs like “Into Oblivion” and “Suffer the Light” are raw, with cold tremolo-bursts, blast beats and throat-shredding vocals. Outside influences from thrash, death and hardcore can be found throughout their new record, Void, and there is a palpable sense of dread and darkness present. Fortunately, the band provide two acoustic tracks—”Denisovan” and “The Frozen Deep”—to offer a respite and slight mood reset.
“Around autumn 2017, we decided we wanted to find a rural and inspirational location to write and rehearse new material,” the band write. “We found a converted chapel (now a church hall) in the nearby countryside that was available for hire, so we packed up our gear and headed out of the city for a full-day session. As soon as we arrived and plugged in, it was clear that we’d found exactly what we were looking for. The peaceful, rolling countryside surroundings were truly inspiring, with the atmosphere and feel of the hall lending itself hugely to our writing process and creativity. Once we’d made the decision that we would take on the recording ourselves in the DIY spirit, it was a no-brainer that we would use this place in some way, with an added draw of the natural reverb of such a building. You can hear the sound of the chapel clearest in the drums on the intro to ‘Beyond These Skies,’ as well as both of the acoustic tracks.”
Check out Void below; it’s out this Friday through Withered Hand.
