Review by Felix on June 9, 2026.

An EP with a playtime of 31 minutes is not the biggest portion of black metal. Nevertheless, "Antiquum" is a two-in-one package, because it does not only deliver four new tracks, but also the songs of Lunar Chalice's first demo. Anyway, let's start with the main part of the EP, the four new pieces. After a relatively long, calm intro has set the stage, "Angel Of Pestilence" bursts out of the speakers. The song is characterized by its straight flow, the fast-paced hammering of the snare and the spooky lines of the guitars. Lunar Chalice, whose members are no newcomers, know the formula of malicious, pure black metal and their rage forms a really devilish attack with a simple yet almost unforgettable chorus. "Angel Of Pestilence" boasts with a touch of genius and there can be no doubt that this song is the brightest jewel here. The following "Fear The Hanged Man" (little question: why should I do so? Maybe because he begins to stink in a bestial way after a few days?) lowers the degree of musical cruelty, not significantly, but a little bit. However, it also holds strong, Sweden-affine guitar lines that celebrate typical genre melodies – and you know that the word "melody" has to be understood in the broadest sense here. Echoing keyboards add a minimum of atmosphere.

The songs can rely on a strong production. On the one hand, it reflects the underground status of the band, on the other hand, it is by no way an amateurish sound. This also applies to the two bonus tracks. They demonstrate that Lunar Chalice were able to write comparatively complex tracks right from the beginning. In my humble opinion, "Night Eternal" is the better demo song, because it houses a chorus that makes you feel the passion, the despair and the expressiveness of lead vocalist E.I.-M. – and it crowns a song whose different sections and tempos go hand in hand. The band weaves a dense web of sinister harmonies and cements impressively the strength and the reputation of the German black metal scene. No matter how deep you dig, you will find a few gold nuggets in every layer.

No doubt, "Antiquum" marks a cool statement from a band with possibly even greater potential. Okay, this output with its short running time suffers somewhat from the fact that the fourth track, the one that closes the quartet of new songs, is nothing but a more or less boring outro to this part of the EP. Honestly speaking, I would have appreciated another regular song much more than this ambient number which drags on uninspired for nearly four minutes. To use the word "storm" in the title of this sleepy piece must be a kind of joke I do not understand. But let's see the big picture: despite this downer, "Antiquum" is recommended to all black metal fans who are aware of the fact that the sonic world of this genre is not made up only solely of Marduk and Dark Funeral (regardless of the fact that both of them are brilliant). Not to mention the re-animated zombies called Dimmu Borgir. The underground is still the most important biotope for black metal and this EP is just another proof for this thesis.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10