Antigone’s Fate – Fragmente [Full Length, 2021]

Listening to Antigone’s Fate’s latest album actually left me with so many feelings. Obviously it’s an impressive effort but more on that later. To the uninitiated, Antigone’s fate is a solo Atmospheric Black Metal project from Germany and just released its third album ‘Fragmente’ on 29th January 2021 via Northern Silence Productions.

Fragmente contains only 3 tracks but it’s actually 42 minutes long with each track runs from 6 to almost 21 minutes, so plenty of things happening in there, to be frank. Generally Fragmente is an Atmospheric/Melancholic Black Metal release with elements such as Folk, Melodic Death Metal and maybe Progressive making appearance here and there. What attracted me the most is the melodic guitarworks forming the structure of the album. In fact it is actually so diverse it sets apart the tracks from each other. 

Vrika to thánato for example, strongly influenced by Katatonia and Insomnium with folk influence made its appearance here. Den Königen Elend und Verfall meanwhile peppered with so much melodic guitarworks I’m kind of lost trying to recall any similar bands employing similar sound. It’s best track out of the rest with vocals fluctuating from mid scream to melodic shouting, all while guitars are pummelling highly melodic and sorrowful riffs. Meanwhile the last track Sonnenaufgang takes a different route by utilizing cleaner sound akin to Alcest and Unreqvited. It’s probably the least extreme among all but an appropriate closing track after the mindblowing preceding track.

I know it’s barely first quarter of the year, but I feel I have found my first best release of the year. Fragmente really pushes Antigone’s Fate ability to craft memorable riffs and made it possible to throw in so many style into the mix and still came out wonderful. Sure, it’s a long album but none of the songs went to waste.

Fragmente is now available in CD and digital download format.

FFO: Insomnium, Katatonia, Halls of Mourning, Skyforest, Alcest