Recent Reviews

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

[ More Music Reviews ]


Anti-Mortem: New Southern
Anti-Mortem New Southern CD Album Review

Anti-Mortem: New Southern

Modern Heavy Metal
3.5/5.0

Rumbling out of the plains of Oklahoma like a F5 tornado is Anti-Mortem with their debut album New Southern, crushing everything in their path. These youngsters, being rooted in heavy rock and metal from the Seventies through the Nineties, believe that the riff is king and, therefore, should be monstrous and heavy.

Anti-Mortem New Southern Band Photo

Anti-Mortem: pro big hair and beards.

So much is the riff king that the basic characteristic of their music is a pummeling freight train of riffage. It has one purpose: melting brain matter. But seriously, this is one heavy album. Despite notions from the band that they want to bring rock back, or put some balls into modern hard rock, groove and melody, while there, get pushed to the back seat where the bottom heavy rhythm section clubs them to death with spiked baseball bats. At times, Anti-Mortem reminds me of Pantera jacked up on a double dose of Jager and Red Bull.

Being from the plain states, the boys of Anti-Mortem were also raised on southern rock, ergo, the name of the album. You will catch some of the feeling, though often muted, in several songs like Truck Stop Special, Stagnant Water, or New Southern, but more so at the beginning of Jonesboro. To their credit, also, Anti-Mortem doesn't allow the crushing harshness of their modern metal to totally win the day. Beyond the crush of chords, there's some solid lead guitar work infesting these songs. And they actually tone things down for one song, Black Heartbeat, also with a slight southern flair. (Actually, it sounds like a vicious version of Nickelback. But Anti-Mortem would probably beat the shit out of Chad Kroeger and company if the ever showed up in Chickasha.) Mostly, New Southern is a riff heavy thundering monstrosity, yet spiked with good guitar solos and, therefore, perfect for today's modern metal fans.


ANTI-MORTEM - 100% Pure American Rage (OFFICIAL VIDEO)





CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

In Short

Anti-Mortem's New Southern is a riff heavy thundering monstrosity and, therefore, perfect for today's modern metal fans.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity Album Review

Once more we return to multi-national band Lords Of Black which features Ronnie Romero (v), Dani Criado (b), Jo Nunez (d), and founder, guitarist, and principal songwriter Tony Hernando. After a three year ... [ Read More ]