It's been almost two years since the release of "Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone" and the London-based Progressive Death Metal outfit Akercocke are once again ready to unleash their musical "inner demons" through their latest offering. Looking back at my review for the above-mentioned album and having gone through the process of comparing my then thoughts to the ones that occurred after having listened to the band's latest opus "Antichrist", I cannot help but notice two very important things: not only do I now feel much more confident using the term progressive in order to describe Ackercocke's music but most importantly, I got a positive answer to the question regarding the band's ability to further improve within the limits of the genre that they chose to represent.

If the welcoming variety and endless musical experimentation, being the main features of "Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone" made that album a necessary addition to your CD collection, then "Antichrist", being the mature offspring of the same musical direction, will certainly enjoy a similar fate. One other similarity that this album enjoys with it's predecessor is that it is also the product of a new line up, as Peter Benjamin is now the person that handles bass guitar duties, but once again these changes seem to have worked to the band's advantage, seeing as "Antichrist" is the most coherent and well-balanced album so far released by this outfit.

Once again, Akercocke have decided to invest equally in both the heavy and melodic aspects of their music - a decision that I personally welcomed with open arms. Examples of sophisticated brutality such as the Morbid Angel-sounding "Summon the Antichrist" and the equally bombastic "Footsteps Resound in an Empty Chapel" created enough space for Jason Mendonca to fill with his brutal/throaty screams and fast-paced riffs and are in direct challenge with the thrashier mid tempo compositions of the album such as "Man Without Faith or Trust" and "The Dark Inside".

Even though all of the previously mentioned compositions are quite impressive and definitely carry Akercocke's stamp of authenticity, it is once again the more "experimental" compositions of the album that manage to stand out in my opinion. The acoustic guitar theme that opens for the magnificent "Axiom" is beautifully supported by Mendonca's clear narrations, and the songs' various Death Metal vocal outbreaks create a beautiful contrast with the rhythmical guitar themes and the jazzy influenced solo which is presented later in the composition.

On a similar note, "My Apterous Angel" brings out not only some of the band's most extreme riffs, but also those oriental melodies that have become synonymous with their musical identity, thus procuring itself as one of the most impressive composition that Akercocke have created so far in their career.

At the beginning of their career, Ackercocke were a band targeting a very specific type of audience, but an album such as "Antichrist" proves that their music has matured to such a level that it can now become appealing to a wider range of people. What I personally find particularly noteworthy, though, is that they have managed to achieve that without having sacrificed a single one of those elements that give them their special identity. Akercocke have definitely created one of the best extreme metal albums of the year - one that deserves nothing other than my full five stars!

*****

Review by John Stefanis