Antigone’s Fate was formed in 2015 by sole member Ruun when he’d created music that, due to events in his life, ended up being too dark for him to release as part of his main bands. This music didn’t see the light of day until life struck once more, and Ruun ended up writing the entire debut album “Insomnia” in the space of just two weeks. This was released in 2018, followed by a second album “Zum Horizont…” in 2019 and now in 2021 we have the third album “Fragmente”, set for release via Northern Silence Productions on 29th January, this will round off the trilogy.
It’s an album consisting of just three songs, although two of the songs are 14 and 21 minutes long respectively, with a shorter piece ending the album. It’s clear as soon as the first notes hit after the initial ambient introduction that we’re dealing with a very polished album here, in terms of the production as well as the musicianship and song writing. It’s also clear that, while Antigone’s Fate may have begun life as a melancholic depressive black metal act, Ruun has really broadened his horizons on this one. Yeah, you’ll still hear familiar black metal elements in here, but there’s so much more going on here, comparisons could be drawn to early Katatonia in places even, as well as a host of other ingredients. This initial song, Vrìka to thánato, opens slowly with the music given plenty of time to breathe and establish itself, an atmospheric intro leading into some powerful melodic guitarwork. It’s two minutes before any vocals are introduced but frankly the music speaks volumes on its own, and when the music takes a more subdued turn with acoustic guitar taking over, we then hear Ruun’s whispered voice entering the mix. The song then begins to climb to a crescendo, before bursting to life with epic clean vocals, again accompanied by powerful guitar melodies.
Now I’m not going to describe every twist this album takes, but the point I’m trying to make is there’s so much activity on this album, so much going on that draws you in and keeps you hooked. All the above happens in the first few minutes, and it’s a pattern that continues throughout. It’s a good thing, it’s essential in fact if you’re going to make three songs come together for a 42-minute album. Nothing outstays its welcome, in fact I found myself mentally hoping that the songs wouldn’t end, they’d got their hooks in that deep. We still hear the more traditional black metal elements coming out later in this first song, and Ruun demonstrates even more vocal versatility with harsh anguished shrieks during these segments. There’s more acoustic guitar later on as well, bringing to mind “Journey’s End” era Primordial to a degree, however, Antigone’s Fate is very much its own beast. The creativity and song writing combine with excellent performance and musicianship and the way everything is brought together and juxtaposed to create something totally unique which stands firmly on its own two feet, I have to say that’s pretty impressive.
The second of the three songs on this album, Den Königen Elend und Verfall, is a song which really steals the show. While the first track was undoubtably an excellent opener, the second expands on everything the first did and amplifies it. We hear every facet of Antigone's Fate's sound played out in this song, and there are many moments in this song that truly take the breath away. We even hear symphonic elements coming in with pomp and bombast at one point, adding another dimension to an already complex platter. Ruun’s talents as a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, as well as very gifted composer and songwriter really shine through, and it’s these qualities which make Antigone’s Fate and “Fragmente” what they are. This particular song showcases all of these things, and takes you on an epic journey as Ruun weaves his magic over its 21-minute duration
The album concludes with Sonnenaufgang, a 6-minute instrumental track which calms things down after the drama of the first two tracks, although I’d not say the song is subdued, but it does have a calming warmth to it. At times, surprisingly, this even brings to mind some of Devin Townsend’s music, to me parts of this song have a similar kind of vibe to it in places. While that might not be a direct or intentional influence, it does show just how eclectic Antigone’s Fate sound is and this final song is a great conclusion to the album and this trilogy.
Any negative points about this album then? For me, I’m finding it hard to find fault with it, but I know that won’t be the case for everybody. The following points therefore, aren’t really criticisms as such but just caveats, as this isn’t an album for everybody, even though there’s much to enjoy. It’s not a hard album to listen to, but it is a demanding one, “Fragmente” isn’t something you’re going to want on as background music, it demands your full attention to fully appreciate so if you’re not somebody who’s happy doing that, or if your attention span doesn’t lend itself to 20-minute songs, this might not be the album for you. Nor will it be the album for you if you’re looking for pure depressive black metal, or indeed any other specific genre in isolation. There’s a lot of different styles in here, for me it’s one of its main strengths, but it will require a degree of open mindedness from the listener as well. Those aren’t bad things as I say, but I’m just aiming to give you an honest idea of who this album will appeal to and who it won’t.
With that in mind, Antigone’s Fate has delivered an absolute belter here, the seeds that were planted with the first two albums have really grown to fruition with “Fragmente”. It’s a remarkably diverse yet still incredibly focused and tight album, created by a master at his work. It’s an album that has so much to offer every step of the way, with plenty to discover both on first and repeated listens. If you liked the first two albums this is a no-brainer, it builds massively on those foundations. If not, and you’re nonetheless looking for a diverse, powerful and rewarding listen, rooted in depressive black metal yet branching out far beyond its confines then Antigone’s Fate is one band you’ll not want to allow to pass you by. It may be the conclusion of a trilogy, but I really hope this isn’t the last we’ve heard from Antigone’s Fate.
Fragmente will be released on January 29th via Northern Silence Productions
