“Christian black metal”, “unblack metal”, “white metal”, call it what you want, it doesn’t matter. Anyone who listens to black metal has an opinion on this infamous sub-genre of a clearly evil and Satanic genre of music. I for one see myself as tolerant towards black metal boasting Christian themes, but it definitely is a tricky issue. “Trve, kvlt” black metal fans will, for the most part, be outraged by Christian black metal, deeming it false and saying that it goes against the core principles and views of black metal. After all, since its creation, black metal’s focus has always been on the evil, the occult and the hate within us, there is no denying it. For a band like Antestor to come along with lyrics devoted to the power and beauty of Christ was to cause widespread anger within the black metal community, so much so that there were hints of assassination plots against the band members themselves. When it boils down to it, is black metal a style of music or an ideology and lifestyle? If it is the latter, Antestor’s involvement in the black metal scene is false and they have no right to be part of it, themselves being so ideologically opposed to the ideology that is so prominent within all of the early black metal bands. But, if black metal is seen purely as a style of music, what is the problem? There is none. To somewhat avoid criticism and to distance themselves from the Satanic view of black metal, Antestor have even been known to describe their music as “sorrow metal”. After listening to their music, one can see why they would use such a label. Whether you agree with Antestor’s involvement in the black metal scene or not, they have undoubtedly been a prominent force in the black metal scene since the early 90s, perfectly blending together progressive and traditional black metal elements which were way ahead of their time in the Norwegian extreme metal scene.

Det Tapte Liv, in my opinion, is a fantastic release. It was released in 2004, serving as a taster for their upcoming album The Forsaken. The EP contains two “actual songs” and three piano and keyboard based instrumental songs, each as beautiful yet haunting as the last. The two actual songs - “Rites of Death” (this also serving as the opening track on The Forsaken) and “Med Hevede Sverd”) are perfect examples of how good modern black metal can be. Throughout the EP subtle hints of folk music shine through the fast and abrasive riffs as well as progressive rock-esque sweeping solos and symphonic orchestral arrangements. In a way, the two songs remind me of a more progressive and slightly faster version of Dimmu Borgir, their use of keyboards, pianos and orchestral arrangements definitely very similar to one another. The piano and orchestra-based interludes found throughout are beautifully dark, showing just how sorrowful their brand of sorrow metal really is. Maybe it’s because I am a drummer myself, but one of the main things that shines out on the EP for me is the drumming. Legendary extreme metal drummer Jan Axel “Hellhammer” Blomberg was brought onboard to lend his talents and they really do work a treat. Because of their outspoken religious beliefs and Hellhammer’s involvement with the famous - and pure evil - black metal band Mayhem, Hellhammer himself was criticized by some for agreeing to work with Antestor. Nonetheless, he ignored all criticism, recording went ahead and he ended up being used on both Det Tapte Liv and The Forsaken, showcasing his pure brilliance on both.

Personally, I find Antestor to be one of the most exciting and interesting black metal bands out there. They play an extremely appealing brand of melodic black metal that can be appreciated by all fans of extreme music, not just fans of black metal, so please get your hands on Det Tapte Liv and The Forsaken (and their earlier material, of course) and submit yourself to their greatness!

8.5/10