Photo by freakphotography666
I reviewed ‘Psyclon Nine’ in the past and I have to say that this show at the Backstage Behind the Mill was one of their best performances I have seen. Even as a three piece they showed why they are the best industrial Metal in the business. They lit the crowd on fire and Nero has never been better.
Photo by freakphotography666
Yet I had to pay attention to a brand new project named “Antania” as their online presence had me intrigued. I’d heard the Spotify tracks, I’d seen the YouTube videos for ‘The God Complex’ and ‘D3D Solz’, but nothing, absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the sharply controlled chaos which Antania laid down in their set Backstage Behind the Mill, Paris France. The Joshua Tree California based artist will make you reshape your view of Duo- Doom bands with his automated robotics and mechanical devices. Usually, when I watch a performing artist, I will usually draw comparisons to other artists, but it’s safe to say that no artist is in the same league or even the same dimension of ‘Antania’. That overwhelming vibrating reverberation of when a vintage engine passes you in the street may come close. It’s filthy, it’s iconic and witnessing it live may have been the finest sensation of auralism I will ever be treated to.
I will never even begin to understand the complexity and the ingenuity of Dr Luna; the fabulous brain behind the unfathomable chemistry which is manipulated through his gloriously robotic levers. Each of his mechanical splendors pump out a distinct throbbing, thrashing, pounding, bass thumps that is perfectly pitched in tonality to exude the perfect amount of genius and industrial engineering creativity. Kali Mortem adds the incredible persona and power with a voice from the infernal realms. Live, she resembles a sexy cenobite and her mere presence was felt the second she walked on stage. Her voice is beautiful yet frightening and they blaze right into it with their opening song “Angels and Demons”. The crowd was transfixed.
Photo by freakphotography666
I believe this to be the most brutal duo to date. Antania goes beyond your average Ableton monkey with their samples, loops and synthesizers with their doom bass and innovative machines to create some of the most blissfully discordant rhythms and processions of distorted energy that you could possibly ever anticipate hearing. Whilst their set up was fairly minimal compared to their set up in the west, It didn’t fail to astound the crowd that stood in admiration for the pure passionate talent he was pouring into every manipulation of sound. A must see project and I look forward to seeing them back in Europe.
