Akantha
Biography
Pure Old School Orthodox Black Metal that brings back memories of 1991-1993! Razorsharp riffing, insane basic drumpatterns and neck-breaking compositions!
Despite hailing from Greece, Akantha has far more in common with their Norwegian brethren than Rotting Christ or Varathron. The duo’s second release “Baptism in Psychical Analects” is right in line with the “Transylvanian Hunger” tradition, boasting piercing guitar runs, ever-blasting drums, and vocals consisting of Immortal-style croaks.
Though the production lives up to the raw lo-fi standard with seemingly no bottom end to be found, one really can’t accuse the band of sloppy musicianship. The duo is extremely tight as the guitars and drums never falter or shows sign of fatigue when delivering their relentless bombardments, and they play off each other in ways that would be literally impossible in a typical one-man scenario. The vocals also get the job done.
Fortunately, the songwriting does really stand out. Individual tracks are instantly recognizable due to a variety of tremolo runs and exceptional drum blasts, and the midway tempo shifts that appear provide a divine elevation.
Overall, Akantha expands their sound on “Baptism in Psychical Analects” and offer much uniqueness to the scene at large due to being so Orthodox in their approach. You won’t hear the sloppiness that comes with this sort of lo-fi black metal, and the songwriting is killer. A thirty-four-minute runtime makes for an intense listen that will likely satisfy fans of Judas Iscariot and classic Darkthrone.