(1) Antaeus, the French Black Metal band, formed in Maisons-Laffitte, Île-de-France, France in 1994. They have released four full-length albums to date: Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan (2000) and De Principii Evangelikum (2002) released on Osmose Productions, and Blood Libels (2006) and Condemnation (2016) released on Norma Evangelium Diaboli.
About Blood Libels, Todd DePalma of StylusMagazine.com said, "Melody is tempered through vivid motion, recycling a violent conquering of style. Upstrokes rake hopeless feeling across incessant blast-beaten rhythm, falling like copper shavings into an open sore.... Structure betrays a craft in tune with the adamantine will. The mordant efflorescence is reset through ambient refrains, suspiring in the aftermath or else opening like a valve between them as toxic pools reflect a fetid attraction to misery and imprisonment of the body—a spiritual negative condensed in the title track’s provocation to prove we’re 'more than flesh.'" Jeremy Garner of MetalReview.com notes that "the attenuation of mood is absolutely flawless. 'Words as Weapons', 'Here is Punishment', and 'Blood Libels' all act as damn impressive moments flesh tearing guitar lines and pernicious vocals enveloping the listener in a fog of aural torture and despair by creating interesting juxtapositions between atmosphere and the no quarter attitude of songs like 'Cyklik Torture'. When it comes down to it though, there are very few other bands that have such good taste as musicians to not let their music become repetitive or annoyingly overdone."
The current line-up is:
MkM - Vocals (Aosoth, ex-Temple of Baal, ex-Tenebrare, ex-Deviant)
Set - Guitars (ex-Aosoth, ex-Aes Dana, ex-Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition)
According to a recent interview with MkM, Antaeus will never play live again. They remain active as a recording band with the "incomplete" line-up and probably some session musicians in the future.
MkM used to run Spikekult Productions and took part in establishing Norma Evangelium Diaboli. Set is also a member of the band Aosoth.
Myspace/antaeusdpe
(2) A chill/electronica/club music artist (aka Alexx Antaeus) with albums Byzantine Meditation, World Prayer, and Zero4; notable track Palm of the Prophet. Antaeus (aka Alexx Antaeus) has released three albums to date: Byzantine Meditation (2004), World Prayer, and Zero4 (2007), released on Monom and Monom Records.
Byzantine Meditation is a chillout soundscape fusing voices, traditional instruments, electronica, hip-hop, and drum 'n' bass. The title track Byzantine Meditation received significant airplay on Smooth Jazz and eclectic stations and was used in Jacob's Coffee TV commercials. For World Prayer, the Virgin Megastore magazine raved: "Few Greeks up to now have been able to make their presence felt in the international music world. One of them is Antaeus...Sources of inspiration this time are religions from around the world, always with the enchanting atmosphere that Antaeus creates..." Zero4 is his latest release. In it, he blends urban and club beats with ethnic melodies and ambient sensitivity. Palm of the Prophet, one of the album's tracks, has been included in the Buddha Bar VIII compilation. Several songs from the album are receiving airplay on chill, Smooth Jazz, and eclectic stations around the world. In his review of Zero4 at enigmaonline.com, Thomas Martin wrote: "Production is at its...best," and "I'll recommend Antaeus to anyone who owns Paul Simon's Graceland and Air's Virgin Suicide / Talkie Walkie." Professor Marshall J. Cook, Editor of Creativity Connection at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said, "(Antaeus' music) seems at once unique and familiar to me, and I don't seem to tire of it after several playings."
Alexx Antaeus has been active in the music industry since 1986: he has remixed/produced for Young M.C., Falco, Lonnie Gordon, Malcolm McLaren, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Rolling Stones, The Boys, Herbert Gronemeyer, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Some of the club music projects he has launched are Jeek! and Aar. For his work, he has earned several gold and platinum plaques.
Similar artist: Enigma.
Website: http://monomrecords.com/artists/antaeus/
http://www.antaeusmusic.com/
Myspace/antaeusmusic
Other artists who have used the name Antaeus include:
An alternative rock band from Smithtown, USA, who established a freespace website and a facebook page in 1995 and used them for maybe a month. They list members: Tyler Liers (lead guitar/vocals), Brian Kassay (rhythm guitar/lead vocals), Julie Tarry (drums), and Hannah Havemann (bass); and influences: Weezer, The Beatles. www.freewebs.com/antaeusrock & Myspace.com/Antaeus (apparently they got to Myspace first).
Early versions of this wiki mentioned another band named Antaeus, hardcore/metal, based in Oklahoma, and cited their myspace page Myspace/antaeushardcore.
Antaeus is also a Greek mythological figure, the giant son of Poseidon and Gaia.
Control and Abuse
Antaeus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Engulfing one to become the Else Reaching an higher scheme
Dwelling above the mass As the snake did slide
Multiple choices got seen
All in curves
All in lines
All in I
Did you feel like you could handle it all
Did we teach what could be done
Did she realize what was on
Did you feel any loss of control
Did she get to comfort you
Did you feel the stream you spawned
Did she made it clean in all she offered
Did it change anything in your eyes
Since
And during
The offering
Once an another
Now obtained
Another tool colliding towards the end
Just shaping it all
Bringing dynamics to the whole
All those breather chained
Mouth as battery, locked on one impulse
Wounds as links
Burns as keys
The lyrics of Antaeus's song Control and Abuse seem to speak about the idea of surrendering oneself to a higher scheme or power. The opening line "Swallowing dust that sets cells free" suggests a willingness to let go of the self and merge with something greater. The references to snakes and curves also allude to shedding the skin of the old self and adopting a new form.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the surrender comes at a cost. The lines "Did you feel any loss of control/Did she get to comfort you/Did you feel the stream you spawned" suggest a loss of agency or autonomy. The repeated lines "Did it change anything in your eyes/Since/And during/The offering" highlight a sense of transformation or altered perception that has come about as a result of this surrender.
The song also touches on the idea of abuse, both of oneself and others. The lines "Mouth as battery, locked on one impulse/Wounds as links/Burns as keys" suggest a cycle of pain and submission, where one is both the victim and perpetrator of violence.
Overall, the lyrics of Control and Abuse explore complex themes of surrender, transformation, and abuse, urging the listener to consider the costs and consequences of relinquishing control.
Line by Line Meaning
Swallowing dust that sets cells free
Taking in harmful substances that seem liberating to the body
Engulfing one to become the Else Reaching an higher scheme
Becoming someone else to fit into society's expectations of success
Dwelling above the mass As the snake did slide
Living in a higher social status and moving with ease like a snake
Multiple choices got seen
Many options were presented
All in curves
All the choices were curved and not straightforward
All in lines
All the choices were straight with no variation
All in I
All the choices seemed to be about oneself
Did you feel like you could handle it all
Were you confident in your abilities to manage everything
Did she seem fragile enough
Did the person appear vulnerable and easy to control
Did we teach what could be done
Did we educate about the available options for handling a situation
Did she realize what was on
Was the person aware of the consequences of their actions
Did you feel any loss of control
Did you feel that you were losing power over a situation
Did she get to comfort you
Did the person provide reassurance or support
Did you feel the stream you spawned
Did you feel the impact of your actions and its ripple effect
Did she made it clean in all she offered
Did the person provide clear and beneficial options for handling a situation
Did it change anything in your eyes
Did it alter your perspective or perception of a situation
Since
Starting from that point in time
And during
Continuing through the duration of a certain event
The offering
The options that were presented
Once an another
Once a separate entity
Now obtained
Now acquired, through manipulation or force
Another tool colliding towards the end
Another manipulative tactic being used to gain control over a situation
Just shaping it all
Manipulating all aspects of a situation to fit one's desired outcome
Bringing dynamics to the whole
Introducing variations and unpredictability to a situation
All those breather chained
All the people involved, trapped and controlled by the manipulator
Mouth as battery, locked on one impulse
The manipulator using their words to maintain power and control over others
Wounds as links
Harmful actions and words used as connections to maintain control over another
Burns as keys
Harmful actions and manipulations used as a means to obtain power and control
Contributed by Mason D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.