Review by Tomek on January 3, 2008.

It is very strange that some bands get a lot of recognition simply by copying other bands and following trends, but genuine originalities stay almost unknown or go unnoticed. Phazm is a perfect example of such abnormality. Their music is very unusual, interesting and uncanny, but you don’t see their name on top of the lists or popularity rankings. Sad but true.

Most bands branded with Osmose Productions logo are pure or kvlt Black Metal, but Phazm isn’t one of them. Their combination of Death, Doom, Black Metal and traditional Rock’n’Roll is unique and unusually effective. Featuring members of Scarve, Yyrkoon and Agressor, what we find here are: compositional diversity, imagination turned all the way up, awesome musical ideas and top-notch production. While listening to their “Antebellum Death ’N’ Roll”, it is obvious that those boys are having tons of fun combining all the genres and adding unexpected twists to their mix. (Having a frenzied harmonica solo instead of guitar in the middle of a typical Death/Black Metal blast would be a good example.) But music is not the only thing worth mentioning in this package. Excellent CD (for those of you that still buy CD’s) booklet comes with an obscenely hilarious cover and artwork taken straight from a macabre comic book bound in hell. All songs have their own illustrations, portraying each of the songs’ meanings. A very creative and original idea that shows you that the band not only cares about the quality of their music, but also about the visual outcome of the end product. And last but not least, second side of the disc features a bonus DVD with a very well recorded and lighted concert at L’envers - Nancy - Cakehouse of the Loving Dead. A feast for the eyes and ears I must say.

“Antebellum Death ’N’ Roll” is a very solid record with lots of good quality music and extras that somebody put a lot of thought into. No matter what extreme music you listen to, you’ll find something for yourself here. One of the diamonds in my collection – that is a fact.

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Adam M on March 31, 2020.

Only Sons perform a take on Southern metal that is welcoming and accessible.  It recalls a mixture of Orange Goblin and Corrosion of Conformity and this mixing of sounds makes for a compelling album.  There is a definite blueprint for the songs and they follow a pretty standard path even though there is some deviation as can be seen from the track 'Bonfire' which adds a nice little bit of variety to the overall sound.  The style of the band is very groovy and has that nice Southern flavor to it that gives it a distinctive sound. 

The music is atmospheric enough, but it could be even more so and this is one of the biggest flaws with the release.  It is somewhat generic sounding despite having solid song-writing and musical performances.  The band gets through this with their penchant for having fun with the music and letting this enjoyment pour through every portion of the album.  The flow of the work is consistent and allows for catchy repetition in the songs, which become ingrained in your memory.  The last song 'Cabin in the Woods' ends things on a positive note and brings the whole experience together.  This is still a fairly standard sounding Southern release and it doesn’t do anything particularly innovative, even though it sounds perfectly fine. It is a solid album that is very well put together and presented nicely, but it stays within the confines of this presentation.  The groove of the tracks makes for a very fun time and the album has a certain addictive factor that is hard to deny. 

Fans of Orange Goblin will probably like this album because it has the same sort of swagger.  As a Southern release with heavy stoner influences, Lions and Unicorns gets a fairly hearty recommendation for those types of fans. 

Rating: 7.1 out of 10

Review by Tomek on January 3, 2008.

It is very strange that some bands get a lot of recognition simply by copying other bands and following trends, but genuine originalities stay almost unknown or go unnoticed. Phazm is a perfect example of such abnormality. Their music is very unusual, interesting and uncanny, but you don’t see their name on top of the lists or popularity rankings. Sad but true.

Most bands branded with Osmose Productions logo are pure or kvlt Black Metal, but Phazm isn’t one of them. Their combination of Death, Doom, Black Metal and traditional Rock’n’Roll is unique and unusually effective. Featuring members of Scarve, Yyrkoon and Agressor, what we find here are: compositional diversity, imagination turned all the way up, awesome musical ideas and top-notch production. While listening to their “Antebellum Death ’N’ Roll”, it is obvious that those boys are having tons of fun combining all the genres and adding unexpected twists to their mix. (Having a frenzied harmonica solo instead of guitar in the middle of a typical Death/Black Metal blast would be a good example.) But music is not the only thing worth mentioning in this package. Excellent CD (for those of you that still buy CD’s) booklet comes with an obscenely hilarious cover and artwork taken straight from a macabre comic book bound in hell. All songs have their own illustrations, portraying each of the songs’ meanings. A very creative and original idea that shows you that the band not only cares about the quality of their music, but also about the visual outcome of the end product. And last but not least, second side of the disc features a bonus DVD with a very well recorded and lighted concert at L’envers - Nancy - Cakehouse of the Loving Dead. A feast for the eyes and ears I must say.

“Antebellum Death ’N’ Roll” is a very solid record with lots of good quality music and extras that somebody put a lot of thought into. No matter what extreme music you listen to, you’ll find something for yourself here. One of the diamonds in my collection – that is a fact.

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8 out of 10