Antithesis

Ohio's progressive metal masters Antithesis show on their debut album that they are a cut above the rest.

"Antithesis" is a prog metal album not rooted very much in the tradition of Dream Theater, Queensryche, or Fates Warning. They make me think of Helstar crossed with 90's Nevermore and perhaps a bit of Cacophony thrown in. It has more of a 90's sound, escaping most if not all of the 80s trappings (like high-pitched vocals).

Most of the songs are mid-paced and very similar style wise with a few exceptions: the ethereal-sounding parts on tracks “Limbo” and “The Web”, and the beautiful acoustic piece “Secret Fires”.

This album showcases some high-tech players all-around. The guitar work is somewhat thrashy and has lots of note-y progressive runs and arpeggios. The vocals are really well-done, with catchy melodies and using its mid-range style to fit well into the songs. The drumming and soloing also display just how tasteful and schooled this band is.

It's rare to hear a progressive band being song-focused and technique-focused as well. Metal bands so often forsake one for the other.

I subtracted a few points over a few minor issues. First of all, let me be clear that I don't believe any album is perfect. I believe there is always room for improvement for musicians to strive for and my rating reflects that belief. The final instrumental "Descend" has some good moments but is not at all necessary. It would’ve been better left off entirely or developed into another great song like the others on this disc. A killer album like this one really shouldn't end on a dud like that. Keep in mind though, that I consider these critcisms to be very minor considering the number of things this album has done well and I consider it overall to be a gem of underground metal.

Antithesis remands to this day a very underrated and underappreciated band. This even being despite their formation in 1997. The bands self titled and first release came in 1998, but was re-released in 2000. The 1998 version has 10 songs, added is Scroll 29, and the song order is different from the 2000 release. I think it safe to say that many people do not own this album, but you should! If you find this album, pick it up, you wont regret it.
It is hard to describe the sound of Antithesis because they blend many genres into one, making their sound very unique and of its own. At times the riffs are thrashy, but most of the times you have the progressive style and mechanics built into the guitar riffs, which is very Dream Theater-esque. If you are into prog, then you will like this album for sure. I don't enjoy prog that much, but I do enjoy this album because it has enough thrash and other styles of metal to make it stand out above other competitors.
When you put this album on and listen to the first track, Netherworld, you get a sense of what the album is like. A sweet drum intro with a nice prog riff -even the distortion is different sounding, which acts sort of like an escape from the same old, same old. Netherworld will sweep you away with its nice harmonized guitar licks. The drumming remains at a medium beat, but the licks will make you think the song is faster.
As for the rest of the album, guitar wise, you have a bunch of killer riffs. The solos, licks, and intro riffs seem almost neo-classical, but not quite. They are very technical and kick ass if you like shred. The thrashy riffs will have you head banging for sure. For example, the main riff of Limbo and most of the instrumental Descend. Also one of my favorites is the chorus on The Web. They even have a little Spanish like solo in the beginning of the song The Curse. A nice blend of different styles are built into this album.
The drumming is decent; it has its moments while other times it's just ‘there.' The bass guitar is the same way. Some bass solos and intros, but nothing really special. What really ranks up there with the guitars is the singing. On Netherworld, the vocals are kind of soft spoken almost. Over the course of the album, it seems as though some heart is put into it, and the vocals get rough and better. Some great vocal moments are, The Web chorus and Plastic chorus. These parts rule because the singing just flows with the insane guitar riffs.
As for the lyrics, they tend to be about positive things. I am guessing these guys are Christians, or at least have some sort of morals/religious morals. The lyrics aren't Christian, but they are pro-life, and anti-death, anti-murder, etc. etc. This is different, for metal, but not bad. Just read some of the lyrics yourself. I think it is beautiful prose with very well thought out meanings.
If you like the progressive styles of Dream Theater, but with a heavier feel like Ion Vein or Symphony X, then you will enjoy Antithesis. The guitar riffs and licks rank up there with the likes of Michael Romeo, and with some great singing you really can't go wrong. Some songs to check out from this album are: Netherworld, Plastic, The Web, Sword of Mouth, and Limbo.