AN EPITAPH

As Mick Moss' detailed liner notes explain, this live album has a special backstory. The semi-acoustic show immortalized here was originally recorded in 2016 in Kiev, Ukraine, together with a local string quartet. The recording was however put in the backburner for a while, and it was only 18 months later that Moss and Yegor Syutkin started working on the mix and production of the album. The final product includes both audio and video recordings of that 2016 show. Together with Moss and the string quartet (comprised of Andriy Oleksandrov, Anatoliy Gavrylov, Andri Mazko, and Maksym Ginchenko), we have Dave Hall (lead guitar), Ste Hughes (bass), Fab Regmann (drums) as well as Alina Belova on backing vocals (from doom / post-rock outfit Kauan where Gavrylov also plays).

I love this record. The intimate, semi-acoustic setup is perfect for Antimatter's crepuscular, mellow music, especially those songs from earlier albums that feature a mix of acoustic singer-songwriter music, dark electronica and moody post-doom (Savious, Planetary Confinement, Leaving Eden). These are indeed the records that are most represented on this live release, with absolute masterpieces such as "Leaving Eden", "The Last Laugh", "Redemption", "Conspire", "The Weight of the World", and "Legions". Other songs are taken from The Judas Table, which is the album Antimatter were touring at the time ("The Judas Table", "Stillborn Empire", "Black Eyed Man"). Overall, the tracklist offers one highlight after the other, leaving the audience in awe and barely able to catch a breath between one song and the next.

Moss' acoustic guitar delivery is stunning - his playing full of emotion and feel. His voice is excellent too. The strings further enhance the dark hypnotic essence of the material, adding depth and even more darkness, if possible, to the music. Alina Belova's beautiful backing vocals achieve a similar effect. Her deep voice perfectly complements Moss' deep tenor voice, making me wish that one day they would record an album together. The delicate acoustic lull of the songs is occasionally broken by an electric guitar solo by Dave Hall or by Fab Regmann's drumming - adding one more dimension to this incredible show. One small complaint I have, however, is that Alina suddenly disappears halfway through the show, so her vocals are only featured on the first half of the songs, making for a somewhat unbalanced outcome.

Visually, the DVD offers a worthy counterpart to the excellent audio recording. Suffused lights illuminate the musicians, who play close to one another and seated, creating an intimate, cosy atmosphere that immediately invites the audience in. Spotlights are used to highlight key passages in the performances and cool close-ups offer a detailed view of the musicians, often focusing on Moss, but also on Hall and Regmann when their performance calls for it.

Overall, An Epitaph is a must-have live album for any Antimatter's fan out there. This album perfectly captures the essence of this awesome, dark rock band - eternally suspended between acoustic sensibilities and heavy rock pathos. The tracklist is awesome, collecting some of the best Antimatter's songs Moss has ever written. The audio production is great and the visuals complement the music perfectly. If you can own only one Antimatter's live album, it should be this one.