Band : Antillectual

Album title : Testimony

Label : Rise Above – No Reason – Fond Of Life – Infected – Youth Way – Shield Recordings (vinyl)

Distributor : see labels

Release date : March 2008

Release : Digipak CD

This Dutch, Beek-Ubbergen based (a mere 3 kms East of Nijmegen), socio-politically influenced Hardcore Punk/Rock trio Antillectual was formed in 2000, and they took until 2005 to release their debut album Silencing Civilization , issuing several demos along the way.

But the ride towards that happening certainly was not uneventful. In the Summer of 2004 they even got the opportunity to tour the US. But of course the album (released by the Angry Youth imprint) changed a lot for the trio. For starters, original drummer Bob left to concentrate on his studies, leading to the induction of Riekus into the fold (originally attracted only as a temporary replacement, he took over completely in July 2006 when Bob let it be known that he didn't feel like coming back full-time. Since Riekus fit in perfectly, a decisive conclusion in his favour was quickly drawn), which further consists of guitarist Willem and bassist Yvo . Having received the most positive reactions for the album's amazing sound, the band then toured all over Europe with such bands as Aggra Makabra , Astpai , In-Sane , Mel Team Plugs , Next Friday , Rentokill , and 7yearsbadluck . Bands which were to become dear friends, united in the common strife to shake up their audiences in a socio-political sense. The band also got to play alongside some "bigger" bands like Against Me! , A Wilhelm Scream , Ignite , and Strike Anywhere , and performed at some festivals like Valkhof Affaire in Nijmegen, Trashfest in Hogeveen (both in Hoilland), and Donauinselfest in Vienna. In July 2007 they again crossed the Atlantic for a US tour in alliance with New Jersey's Static Radio (for details on thém check review of their debut EP posted ?/?/2007), and in return the latter came over with Antillectual for a European leg of their joint tour. For that tour a 7-inch EP entitled Waves (containing 3 tracks off Silencing Civilization and demo versions of 3 songs that the band had made earlier in March with the help of recording engineer/ mixer/ mastering man Nico van Monfort ) was issued by Square Of Opposition Records (Yo Man Go!) in the US, and Glory Days Of Youth Records in Holland.

The new album was recorded in August 2007 at the Die Tonmeisterei Studio in Oldenburg, Germany...again with van Monfort , but also with additional help from Roland Wiegner ( Die Tonmeisterei ) and famed mastering man Alan Douches . Meanwhile it seems like the band has made friends with more than just the people they toured Europe with, as the album will be simultaneously released throughout the continent by no less than six labels (see heading for details) with the Dutch Shield Recordings releasing the vinyl version for the whole of Europe.

Musically, the band is truly diverse in their Punk/ Hardcore/ Rock approach, frequently shifting the main "genre", and even unafraid to take on a more sentimental stance with a true-to-God ballad ( "I Hate Myself When I Shave Myself" ), in which even short bits of piano is used (as in the album opening "Testimony "). In other words, what you get varies from mid-tempo melancholic Post-Punk to Thrashing PunkRock, but almost unchangeably with a catchy underflow of recognizable melody. With track length varying from 1:35 to 7:07 (the latter in the case of album closer "I Hope You Got My Letter" , which also contains samples from a movie – more samples? can be found in "On Its Own" ), the 10 songs on the album clock in just under 29 minutes, which ain't a lot, but then you can enjoy the band's album twice an hour (certainly a plus). With Willem taking care of lead vocals for the most part, the fact that all other members also sing makes for a nicely filled vocal soundscape as well. Surf to myspace.com/antillectual for some sound sampling (two tracks off the new album and no less than 4 off the debut album – tracks which are àll representative of this Dutch band's "style").

By the way, this band is part of the Creative Commons organization, a non-profit organisation devoted to expanding the range of creative work available for others legally, to build upon and share (very much in contrast to a multitude of national and international copyright organizations who are bent upon the exploitation of musicians rather than re-distributing copyright benefits equitably among the artists who are forced to subscribe to such an unjust system...which in a way more resemles maffia practices than anything else! – the latter comment's my own, not necessarily the organisation's...although I'm certain they will agree).

If you're looking to catch the act in live condition, and live in Germany, Sweden, or Norway, you may catch 'em on the short tour they'll be doin' with Smash The Statues from April 18 to 27. In Holland, they'll be playing support to the Dutch gigs of Strike Anywhere in early May (and they even travel to Italy with that band to play a gig in Milano on May 17). In between and beyond, the band will be playing a variety of gigs, check out the when-and-where on the Myspace page while listening to some of those mp3-samples.

90/100

Tony.