Metal Monday: Antagonist's World In Decline Review

posted in: Features • Reviews & Playlists

Two years after their debut release on Prosthetic Records, OurStage band Antagonist have released their sophomore album, World In Decline”a very good follow-up to 2008’s Exist.

World In Decline starts off with power, picking up right where Exist left off”and that means there’s no sophomore slump for the Antagonist camp. As soon as the first verse hits you in “The Bane of Existence” you get a really good feel for what kind of album you’re in for”riffs, riffs and more riffs. Antagonist took all the parts from Exist that featured big, melodic vocals and replaced those with stronger riffs. They took out the few generic breakdowns that you may have found on Exist and replaced them with more solos. While the solos may not be the most groundbreaking, the fastest, or the most extreme, they’re always good and fit incredibly well into the songs they’re in. Better yet, the guitar tones for the lead solos are really crisp and clean (it’s no secret that a good guitar tone can make or break a solo).

The textures throughout the album, as well as the production/mixing/mastering, are where World In Decline really excels. There’s a great natural sound to Carlos Garcia’s vocals, a sound unlike most metal bands around today. The drums have a lot of room to breathe, the cymbals especially. It’s refreshing to hear cymbals that aren’t always compressed to the high heavens.

World In Decline features zero filler material, and zero fluff. From start to finish, it is ten great metal songs filled with raw vocals, powerfully delivered riffs and tastefully shredded solos. Antagonist have truly found the perfect balance between two of metal’s most divided genres: thrash and metalcore. An unbridled sense of emotion can be found in all areas of this album, something not to be taken for granted in metal today. World in Decline is recommended for anyone who wants to get a good feel for a modern,  no nonsense  metal sound.

Track picks: “Wake Up And Smell the Lies” and “God of Fire”

Download the album from iTunes here (like a good person).

If you’re old school and prefer the hardcopy, you can get the album from the Prosthetic Records store.

To check out some of Antagonist’s older tunes, have a listen to the player below: