(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.
Seen Through Skarz
Antaeus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blade running on flesh fieldz
I dive
Blacksun burning inside
Hooked by fire
Phoenix rising (rise)
Dreamz under skin
Seek those who hide
Beneath
And below...
Rejekted visions
Seen it all through skarz
Witness with silence
Scisors unity, key used
Any flesh unlocked
Creates an unsoiled kathedral
Painwitness, eyewitness
Liquid dance
Liquid drips (from under to beneath)
Forming the offering
Dreamz under skin
Incisions
Seek those who hide
Beneath
And below...
The lyrics to Antaeus's song "Seen Through Skarz" are a vivid and intense portrayal of pain, violence and transformation. The opening line, "Flesh awaits eclipse," sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics, which describe the experience of being cut and burned, and the sense of rebirth that comes from enduring such suffering.
The line "Blade running on flesh fieldz" conjures up images of a battlefield, with the knife representing the aggressor and the flesh as the victim in this violent struggle. The singer then describes diving into this dark, painful world, with a "blacksun burning inside"
The theme of transformation comes up again in the chorus, with the singer describing "dreamz under skin" and "those incisions" as a way of seeking out those who hide "beneath" and "below." This could be interpreted as both a physical and emotional journey, with the cuts and scars representing the painful process of shedding one's old self and emerging transformed.
The final verse describes a "scissors unity" and the unlocking of flesh to create an "unsoiled kathedral," or a pure, untainted space. The use of religious imagery here suggests that the process of transformation is not just physical, but also has a deeper spiritual component.
Overall, Antaeus's "Seen Through Skarz" is a powerful and intense exploration of the themes of pain, transformation and rebirth.
Line by Line Meaning
Flesh awaits eclipse
The body is ready for something transformative and powerful to happen.
Blade running on flesh fieldz
The harshness of life and its trials can be felt cutting into us.
I dive
I am taking a risk and plunging into the unknown.
Blacksun burning inside
There is a deep darkness and trauma simmering within.
Hooked by fire
I am being lured and captivated by a dangerous, destructive force.
Phoenix rising (rise)
There is a hope for rebirth and resurrection.
Dreamz under skin
There are hidden desires buried deep within.
Those incisions
The scars and wounds we bear tell their own stories.
Seek those who hide
We are searching for connection with those who are similarly wounded.
Beneath
And below...
These connections can be found in places both obvious and obscure.
Rejekted visions
We are haunted by ideas and futures that were denied to us.
Seen it all through skarz
We view the world through the lens of our past pain.
Witness with silence
Sometimes the deepest acknowledgement of someone else's pain is simply to be present with them in silence.
Scisors unity, key used
Connections between people can be created through shared struggles.
Any flesh unlocked
Those struggles can be deeply personal and intimate.
Creates an unsoiled kathedral
These connections can be the foundation for a new, better life.
Painwitness, eyewitness
We bear witness to our own pain and the pain of others.
Liquid dance
Our struggles and pain can be a fluid, constantly changing part of our lives.
Liquid drips (from under to beneath)
Pain can flow from one person to the next, sometimes subtly and sometimes overwhelmingly.
Forming the offering
Our pain and struggles can be a form of sacrifice or gift to the people we connect with.
Dreamz under skin
Deep desires and longings can fuel our journeys.
Incisions
Our wounds and scars define who we are.
Seek those who hide
We can find understanding and connection in unexpected places.
Beneath
And below...
The search for connection and healing can take us to unexpected depths.
Contributed by Liliana D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
windswept23
awesome!