From the opening track of Antlered Man's Giftes 1 & 2 I found this LP off putting. The vocals grated on me, the discordant guitar tones and almost twee whistles, xylophones and orchestral fills made me remember that I had Torche - Harmonicraft to listen to also.
I felt this nostalgic pull towards the pAper chAse and Monotonix. Maybe I was initially wrong to push Antlered Man aside. Maybe i just didn't get it. Maybe I've been listening to Nicki Minaj too much.
Damo Eziekel's vocals weren't grating anymore, his carnival sing-sing delivery style draws you in. The rhythmic drumming and orchestral pieces blend together beautifully, with bass lines giving almost a flow and swing.
From The Beatles beginning with "Helter Skelter," System of a Down, definitely some Melvins, maybe even Future of the Left, these guys take their influences and make them their own. With song titles like "Schizo Tennis", "Buddhist Soup" and "Can't Beat Them, Try Solvents" - incidentally my favourite tracks on the album - Antlered Man take their song writing in the same stride as their musical output.
This is metal. This is psycho pop. It's got it's own appeal to people who have their ears open for moments of real constructed and well thought out beauty, amongst a chaotic and almost destructive formula. Antlered Man haven't got mass appeal, and that's a -good- thing. they don't want it. They do what they want, and they're real good at it.
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