Since this was added, I removed it from my list. Here's the mini-review I wrote:

"Antlion presents a seemingly appealing combination of styles in an innovative way, taking influences from across the board: groovy prog death, core-esque technical leads over chuga-chug, and jazzy interludes to name a few. What the music amounts to, however, is a fine example of skill over talent; or more of the former than the latter to be precise. While the ideas behind the instrumentation are creative, the band somewhat fails to bring those ideas to life. A seeming lack of songwriting awareness renders the album almost entirely forgettable barring repeated listens. Not only do the songs come across as random selection of instrumentation, but many sections themselves do not seem to have a sense of completion. The notes seem almost haphazardly selected. The drums, however, save the music from falling flat on its face, bringing "oomph" to the music that the guitars and repetitive vocals fail to deliver. While this sounds fairly negative, the music isn't bad per se. It just needs some...polishing. Antlion's unique style is intriguing and I'd love to see what their next release brings to the table."

Written by LeKiwi on 28.11.2015 at 05:47

Since this was added, I removed it from my list. Here's the mini-review I wrote:

"Antlion presents a seemingly appealing combination of styles in an innovative way, taking influences from across the board: groovy prog death, core-esque technical leads over chuga-chug, and jazzy interludes to name a few. What the music amounts to, however, is a fine example of skill over talent; or more of the former than the latter to be precise. While the ideas behind the instrumentation are creative, the band somewhat fails to bring those ideas to life. A seeming lack of songwriting awareness renders the album almost entirely forgettable barring repeated listens. Not only do the songs come across as random selection of instrumentation, but many sections themselves do not seem to have a sense of completion. The notes seem almost haphazardly selected. The drums, however, save the music from falling flat on its face, bringing "oomph" to the music that the guitars and repetitive vocals fail to deliver. While this sounds fairly negative, the music isn't bad per se. It just needs some...polishing. Antlion's unique style is intriguing and I'd love to see what their next release brings to the table."

7? You must be smoking

7 is about right. Thoroughly good album, just not great in any way.

Lol at the vocals. Otherwise, I think I'm likely to agree with just about everything LeKiwi has written down, judging from the first three tracks. Very fair (and actually quite generous) assessment that is amply supported by the music.

Some people rate things lower than a 9 sometimes you know...