Antares - Choking The Stone

Year of Release: 2001
Label: self-released
Catalog Number: C08568
Format: CD
Total Time: 44:12:00

Antares' music is just like the Angular artist rostrum, most notably the band Final Conflict. It's a hybrid of AOR hard rock and Neo-Progressive rock. This musical format consists of a keys and guitar riff-drenched revisiting of old school hard rock but with the technical clarity of neo and just enough development to give it a progressive tag.

While a lot of bands that do this sound great, their listen doesn't have lasting power - there's almost no inclination to listen to their music repeatedly because it sounds so generic. That is not the case with Final Conflict, nor is it with Antares. Part of the reason is the band is able to steer clear enough away from a generic sound by infusing various influences such as a middle eastern drone as evidenced on the opening the excellent 10 minute "Half Of The Mirror." Han Uil's vocals sounds very familiar here, but I can't currently place who he sounds like. As per most of the songs, there's plenty of room for a keyboard solo, fittingly placed by the virtuoso Gerwin de Weert.

There are only 6 songs, but they're all fully fleshed out. The CD ends with the epic title track which recapitulates all of the bands sounds in a sweeping, dramatic manner.

Antares isn't doing anything supremely original with Choking The Stone. However, there's 46 minutes of solid tunes here and absolutely no filler. If you like Neo with good chunky guitar and plenty of mood changes, then Choking The Stone will leave you satisfied and wishing for more.

Tracklisting:
Ragamuffin Rag-And-Bone-Man (6:50) / Letting Go (6:28) / Ethnic Cleansing (5:33) / Half Of The Mirror (9:51) / Circle Of Keys (4:17) / Choking The Stone (12:33)

Musicians:
Han Uil - vocals, guitars
Klaas Pot - guitars
Gerwin De Weert - keyboards
Jeroen Spanjaard - bass
Sander Zoer - drums and percussion

Discography:
Choking The Stone (2001)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin NL

Added: November 3rd 2002
Reviewer: RIPZ

Artist website: www.antares.mu
Hits: 2253
Language: english