The search for Lucifer has never been more musically captivating than it is on Antithesis, the latest release from Secrets of The Moon, Germany's masters of the occult. Keep in mind that this band, which has gradually built it's reputation since it's inception over ten years ago, once recorded an album at Aleister Crowley's famed Abbey of Thelema in Sicily so one doesn't have to look to far to question where their hearts lie. What they have done on their 4th full length release is no different than what they've been doing all along, which is continuing to eschew the typical BM aesthetic by going beyond any formulas and choosing to stay true to their own artistic vision. Sure their sound has drastically improved and the production work on Antithesis is definitely top notch, and perhaps while some die hard devotees of BM may point fingers and suggest some kind of sell out, it would be impossible to imagine conjuring up such a complex musical vision and then rendering it utterly useless with shitty low-fi sound. Some of the faster passages in the music at times may bring some of Satyricon's more recent work to mind but the big pay off is how deftly they consistently create long and hypnotic passages of sheer sonic brilliance. The vocals of guitarist Sg are for the most part harsh and full of venom except on the haunting, whisper like delivery of "Metamorphoses", a track sung completely in Latin, featuring the words of the famous Roman poet Ovid and based on his poem of the same name. It really doesn't get much more unorthodox than that does it? There is just so much more lurking within the music than what is visible on the surface and while it make take a few listens to fully appreciate what the band is trying to achieve, the payoff in the end is more than worth the little extra effort.
Secrets of the Moon have definitely arrived with Antithesis and their true dedication to their craft has placed them in a truly unique place where few others have dared to go thus far. This is not only a top contender for the best of 2007 lists but the effects of the music on Antithesis should resonate for quite some time.
Track Listing
1) Nowhere 11:18
2) Versus
3) Ordinance
4) Confessions
5) Metamorphoses
6) Ghost
7) Seraphim is Dead
8) Lucifer Speaks
9) Exit
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