(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.
Cyklik Torture
Antaeus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bless my throat! Thy wordz are spoken
Denigrate, the life I was given Rebirth of thought, that
Riveting time when All the ideas
I never got Lurk the answerz To force real life into
Making sense in my
Mind numbed by the "dream"... I once lived.
Take Me In, yet it's all Carved in my flesh
Of who I was, am and will be Predico incultus per animus qoud cruor
Benis ego vestri hostilitas
The lyrics of Antaeus's song "Cyklik Torture" are filled with imagery of rebirth and the search for meaning in life. The singer implores a "great father" to awaken them and bless their throat with words, as they seek to denigrate the life they were given and find a new perspective. The singer longs for the ideas that they were never able to grasp, as they search for answers to make sense of the "dream" that they once lived.
There is a sense of desperation in the singer's words, as they feel trapped in their own mind, numbed by their previous way of life. The idea of rebirth is a recurring theme, as the singer seeks to be "taken in" and forge a new path, but also acknowledges that their past experiences have left an indelible mark on them. The closing line, "Predico incultus per animus qoud cruor / Benis ego vestri hostilitas," is in Latin and roughly translates to "I preach uncultivated through the blood of what I am / Bless your hostility towards me."
Overall, the lyrics of "Cyklik Torture" suggest a deep sense of introspection and a search for meaning and purpose in life. The use of rebirth imagery and the idea of being "carved" with indelible scars implies that this is a painful journey, but one that is necessary in order for the singer to find true understanding and enlightenment.
Line by Line Meaning
Awake me, great father
I call upon my higher power to awaken me and bring me clarity.
Bless my throat! Thy wordz are spoken
Grant me the gift of eloquence so that my words can express my innermost thoughts and feelings.
Denigrate, the life I was given Rebirth of thought, that
I reject the life I was given and seek to renew my mind and spirit.
Riveting time when All the ideas
An exciting moment when new thoughts and insights come rushing in.
I never got Lurk the answerz To force real life into
The answers and solutions I never received are hiding within, waiting to be uncovered and applied to my current reality.
Making sense in my Mind numbed by the "dream"... I once lived.
I struggle to comprehend reality because I was once trapped in a fantasy world that left me emotionally detached.
Take Me In, yet it's all Carved in my flesh
I crave a new beginning but my past experiences and memories have left an indelible mark on my identity.
The indelible scarves Of who I was, am and will be Predico incultus per animus qoud cruor Benis ego vestri hostilitas
The scars of my past shape who I am and who I will become, and I will use the pain I've endured to speak truth to those who seek to harm me.
Contributed by Benjamin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.