EP REVIEW: Dark Spectrum – Antre

English black metal has, over the years, undergone something of an evolution. Initially conjuring thoughts of the atmospherics and ‘English Heritage Black Metal’, it’s broadened considerably to encompass everything from antifascism to a black metal unafraid to experiment with other textures and genres. Nottingham’s ANTRE have their foundations in atmospheric black metal certainly, but over the course of a split with citymates UNDERDARK and their rather good LP Void, have established they’re more than willing to cast their net far wider than just here. 

Their latest release, the EP Dark Spectrum, was created over the span of roughly two months after the initial lockdown in the UK last year and is in some ways, a distillation of everything they’ve done before then and the events of the last year. Their fierce DIY ethic came to be relied on heavily with the recording of the EP and they opted to veer towards concept territory. Tackling a range of emotions and dissociative identity disorder, the four tracks that comprise Dark Spectrum run the gamut from thrash, to melodeath, to hardcore all while rooted in abrasive, oppressive black metal. 

Through These Dead Eyes opens with a short ambient moment before catapulting headlong into a blistering blastbeat-laden sensory assault. Patrick MacDonald’s harsh vocals are unrelenting, switching from punk-inflected howls to roars effortlessly while the guitars swirl in a chaotic maelstrom. Become The Damned wastes no time with introductions, opening with a frenetic salvo while Mask Of The Saviour even drops in some post-metal leanings and a piano outro. 

The atmosphere ANTRE conjure throughout Dark Spectrum is bleak and claustrophobic, a void bereft of positivity or light. It’s a particularly oppressive brand of misery that’s meticulously put together, representing the worst of humanity but the best of what underground black metal has to offer. 

Rating: 8/10

Dark Spectrum is set for release on January 15th via Withered Hand Records.

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