Behold, "Antithesis of Light," one of the bleakest, coldest, and darkest depressive metal records ever to be born from the shadows, courtesy of New Jersey quartet Evoken. With each and every one of the seven tracks concealed in this album, even including the introduction, something somber and unpleasant lurks in every direction the listener turns. The resonant ambiance of the music, complete with ghastly wails and undertones, make this surrounding atmosphere truly come to life. The rolling, beastly vocal growls creep at you like a vile, famished creature circling you in hunger, while the drums, playing in sluggish passages, are mixed and engineered where they echo in every hit, adding more to the album's atmosphere. The guitars perform sorrowful yet somewhat brutal riffs and plucks, also bearing the echoing effect that the drums have as well. The album is executed wonderfully in musicianship, atmosphere, and great build-up and transition with each track it has to offer. As for the stellar artwork, the masses of skeletons of, presumably, soldiers, with the threatening phantom figure nearby sum up the dismal nature that "Antithesis of Light" portrays. Artistically mournful and somberly powerful, Evoken concreted its career as one of the greatest marvels of the death-doom metal genre with this less-than-cheery masterpiece.
