Antichrist (Akercocke album)
Encyclopedia
Antichrist is the fifth studio album by English
blackened death metal Akercocke
, released in 2007. It is their third release on Earache Records
and the first to feature Peter Benjamin on bass, having replaced Peter Theobalds
. The limited edition super jewel case version (Limited to 8000 copies worldwide) includes two bonus tracks, these are covers of songs by Morbid Angel
& Death.
A video has been released for the song "Axiom".
The lyrics "I believe that when I die, I shall rot, and nothing of my ego shall survive" from "Axiom" are taken from the writings of Bertrand Russell
.
. The debate was presented by Stephen Nolan
at his Nolan Live television programme, broadcasted live via satellite link
at 10:45 p.m. on BBC One Northern Ireland
following Akercocke's gig on 16 May at the Rock City
club in Nottingham. According to Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
magazine, the controversy started after Akercocke made available the song "Summon the Antichrist" on 26 April in a MySpace
page dedicated for fans find out more information about the album, as well as to participate in "The Antichrist Code" contest. A producer from BBC Northern Ireland called Mendonca and asked if he would be interested in taking part in a debate. She said some people had taken exception to the album, its lyrics and the band's imagery, and asked would he be interested to discuss this on television with members of the clergy
. Mendonca accepted thinking, "it was a serious debate, with a serious presenter of note conducting a proper interview," which was assured by the producer.
In mid-May 2007 Metal Hammer
magazine spoken to Mendonca about the furore surrounding Antichrist. Mendonca talked about the censorship in the United States
, where the album run into more controversy when the pressing plant handling its production, Disc USA, refused to print the CD booklet due its "Satanic" and "anti-Christian" perspective. Mendonca stated that the fact sounded like fascism
to him and questioned the US censorship, saying: "I rather perturbed that in this day and age, the 21st century, people are so uptight. Whatever happened to freedom of speech and freedom of expression
in the alleged democracy of the USA? Censorship is always ugly no matter how you view it." Mendonca observed that judging something (literally) by its cover, such as in the attitude of the printers is typical of the brainwashed
. "Anyone who took the time to look into [Akercocke's] history would recognise that we have always stated we are anything but anti-Christian. It is divisive attitudes such as this that bring about conflict. Conflict through ignorance."
With Akercocke's gig in Belfast
scheduled for Friday 18 May, BBC Northern Ireland's producers arranged a video link
up to take place the Wednesday before. Shortly after the show at Rock City, the band's Mendonca and Gray appeared on the debate, but they had a four-second delay on their satellite link and could not hear what people were saying. As Terrorizer magazine pointed out, "viewers expecting a decent debate about censorship and religion witnessed Gray and Mendonca heading off criticism from both the audience and furious Christian panellists." During the debate, Mendonca said he wanted to challenge the idea that just because Akercocke play satanically motivated music, they are anti-Christian. In response, a Christian panellist promised Mendonca that he would pray for him "on the day you wake up in a pool of your own vomit." Terrorizer magazine further commented that "what could have been a heated debate between good and evil rapidly descended into farce."
The band also appeared on Nolan's radio programme, The Stephen Nolan Show
, on the early morning of 17 May. Although a more measured and listenable debate took place, excitement continued to build with threats of Christian protests rumoured on the web. In the wake of a controversy, Akercocke's gig in Belfast was in danger of being cancelled. The police embargoed the gig demanding to see the band's lyrics before letting them go on stage. Despite Christian protests outside the venue and police embargo, the gig proceeded without any trouble.
, and announced that the expected release date of Antichrist was for 14 May through Earache Records. Akercocke officially announced the title of the album in mid-March, along with its release date that had been postponed to 28 May.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
blackened death metal Akercocke
Akercocke
Akercocke is an English progressive blackened death metal band from London, England. They take their name from a talking monkey in Robert Nye's interpretation of the Faust-legend, and are notable for their heavily Satanic and sexual lyrical content....
, released in 2007. It is their third release on Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
and the first to feature Peter Benjamin on bass, having replaced Peter Theobalds
Peter Theobalds
Peter Theobalds is an English born musician and artist. He was originally guitarist for a multitude of underground bands including Xerox Girls , Photographing Girls , Three Days By Camel , Salem Orchid and eventually turned bassist with indie...
. The limited edition super jewel case version (Limited to 8000 copies worldwide) includes two bonus tracks, these are covers of songs by Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
& Death.
A video has been released for the song "Axiom".
The lyrics "I believe that when I die, I shall rot, and nothing of my ego shall survive" from "Axiom" are taken from the writings of Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
.
Recording
The preparations for the recording of Antichrist began in late November 2006. The band started recording at its own Goat of Mendes Studios in December. However, in mid-January 2007, bassist Peter Theobalds has announced his departure from Akercocke. Theobalds explained that "reasons are many and varied but the principal factor has been that the original vibe that drove [him] to play has gone. The fun, the utter immersion of the music and friendship and the camaraderie has been slowly eroding for [him], personally, over the last year or so." The band quickly announced bassist Peter Benjamin as a replacement, and resumed the recordings of Antichrist throughout February.Controversy
Before its release, the album caused uproar amongst Northern Ireland's religious community, and was subject of a major religious debate on BBC Northern IrelandBBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
. The debate was presented by Stephen Nolan
Stephen Nolan
Stephen Nolan, born Belfast in 1973, is a radio and television presenter for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio Five Live. He was educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and Queen's University Belfast where he studied French and Business Studies....
at his Nolan Live television programme, broadcasted live via satellite link
Satellite link
A satellite link is a communications subsystem that involves a link between a transmitting Earth station and a receiving Earth station via a communications satellite.-See also:*Earth terminal*Telecommunications link*Satellite truck*Ku band*C band...
at 10:45 p.m. on BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC One Northern Ireland is the national variation for BBC Northern Ireland of the network BBC One service broadcast by the BBC. The service is broadcast in Northern Ireland from Broadcasting House in Belfast...
following Akercocke's gig on 16 May at the Rock City
Rock City (club)
Rock City is a club in the city of Nottingham, England that focuses on live music.-Overview:Rock City, based in Nottingham City Centre, has a capacity of 2451, and is known for its intimate atmosphere. It has been described by NME as "sweaty, but truly indie". Rock City is divided into two rooms:...
club in Nottingham. According to Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
-External links:* *...
magazine, the controversy started after Akercocke made available the song "Summon the Antichrist" on 26 April in a MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page dedicated for fans find out more information about the album, as well as to participate in "The Antichrist Code" contest. A producer from BBC Northern Ireland called Mendonca and asked if he would be interested in taking part in a debate. She said some people had taken exception to the album, its lyrics and the band's imagery, and asked would he be interested to discuss this on television with members of the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
. Mendonca accepted thinking, "it was a serious debate, with a serious presenter of note conducting a proper interview," which was assured by the producer.
In mid-May 2007 Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
magazine spoken to Mendonca about the furore surrounding Antichrist. Mendonca talked about the censorship in the United States
Censorship in the United States
In general, censorship in the United States, which involves the suppression of speech or other public communication, raises issues of freedom of speech, which is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution....
, where the album run into more controversy when the pressing plant handling its production, Disc USA, refused to print the CD booklet due its "Satanic" and "anti-Christian" perspective. Mendonca stated that the fact sounded like fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
to him and questioned the US censorship, saying: "I rather perturbed that in this day and age, the 21st century, people are so uptight. Whatever happened to freedom of speech and freedom of expression
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
in the alleged democracy of the USA? Censorship is always ugly no matter how you view it." Mendonca observed that judging something (literally) by its cover, such as in the attitude of the printers is typical of the brainwashed
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
. "Anyone who took the time to look into [Akercocke's] history would recognise that we have always stated we are anything but anti-Christian. It is divisive attitudes such as this that bring about conflict. Conflict through ignorance."
With Akercocke's gig in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
scheduled for Friday 18 May, BBC Northern Ireland's producers arranged a video link
Videotelephony
Videotelephony comprises the technologies for the reception and transmission of audio-video signals by users at different locations, for communication between people in real-time....
up to take place the Wednesday before. Shortly after the show at Rock City, the band's Mendonca and Gray appeared on the debate, but they had a four-second delay on their satellite link and could not hear what people were saying. As Terrorizer magazine pointed out, "viewers expecting a decent debate about censorship and religion witnessed Gray and Mendonca heading off criticism from both the audience and furious Christian panellists." During the debate, Mendonca said he wanted to challenge the idea that just because Akercocke play satanically motivated music, they are anti-Christian. In response, a Christian panellist promised Mendonca that he would pray for him "on the day you wake up in a pool of your own vomit." Terrorizer magazine further commented that "what could have been a heated debate between good and evil rapidly descended into farce."
The band also appeared on Nolan's radio programme, The Stephen Nolan Show
The Stephen Nolan Show
The Stephen Nolan show airs on weekdays on BBC Radio Ulster from 9am-10.30am.Stephen Nolan is a radio personality who broadcasts on the BBC.The show is notable for its frequent fiery debate.Stephen Nolan has won seven Sony Radio Academy Gold Awards....
, on the early morning of 17 May. Although a more measured and listenable debate took place, excitement continued to build with threats of Christian protests rumoured on the web. In the wake of a controversy, Akercocke's gig in Belfast was in danger of being cancelled. The police embargoed the gig demanding to see the band's lyrics before letting them go on stage. Despite Christian protests outside the venue and police embargo, the gig proceeded without any trouble.
Release
In early-January 2007, the band released footage from the recordings through YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, and announced that the expected release date of Antichrist was for 14 May through Earache Records. Akercocke officially announced the title of the album in mid-March, along with its release date that had been postponed to 28 May.