Anta: Centurionaut

I'm pretty sure that the words 'hard' and 'going' were made for albums like Centurionaut by Bristol UK based progdroners Anta. Five tracks and forty minutes of instrumental doom/prog/drone/psych, what could possibly go wrong? Well a lack of any sort of entry point is the main culprit, with manic frenticicism being the order of the day, guitar galloping, roaring, organ wailing (oh how the organ wails....) drums cascading, diving, parrying, thrusting, bass thrumming, droning, humming, but all at once and all the time. There's certainly no treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen ethos here. No, you are given everything. At once. From the start. Until the end. 3 2 1............Go!

The question is can you keep up and do you want to? "Clock Turret Khan" and "Helepolis" try so hard, they hurt - as does the high pitched organ if you are brave enough to crank the volume up. "Dolmen" careens down the same path, caring not a jot that it left you down the lane, round the corner and half way up the street, panting for breath and just out of earshot. In fact there's barely a pause to see if you're still paying attention or if you've been so dazzled by the weight of what's on offer that you've spaced out and are left staring at the wall wondering exactly where you left your feet.

Thankfully "Cenotaphium I" varies the approach, deeper, darker, more focused, less cluttered. Still darting, yet doubly effective and intense by being more singularly aimed and relaxed. Less not only can be more. Here it is in the proof. And the nail is crushed on the head in stunning style with the second helping, "Cenotaphium II" and suddenly you are left wondering where these dronesters went wrong for the first three fifth of Centurionaut. Then the organ is let loose once more to meander where it, not the song, sees fit and you nod your head and go, "that's where".

These guys can play, they can construct, they can arrange and they want you to know it during every second of this album. Leaving little time left for enjoyment. Which is a shame, as they are close to the bull's eye, although not enough to make you want to spend much time deciphering it all.

Track Listing
1. Clock Turret Khan
2. Helepolis
3. Dolmen
4. Cenotaphium I
5. Cenotaphium II

Added: September 21st 2013
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Anta Music Online
Hits: 1969
Language: english

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