There is an absolute plethora of underground black metal bands in the Christian scene. While this is a fact to be celebrated, at times it is difficult to judge the quality of releases, when there are so many. Antivenom actually managed to escape my attention until recently.
This band, like many in the scene, is fairly mysterious. I don’t know where they are from, although one member (whose name will be recognized by Christian bm aficionados) is Armath Sargon (Armath Sargon, Elgibbor, Katumus, Light to Dead, others), who is from Finland. Other members are simply “Troy” and “Corinne,” both of whom were also in White Funeral, and are presumably American. Does that make them a ‘virtual’ band? I really don’t know.
This is grim stuff, musically speaking, but very uplifting lyrically. The song title “Sacred Funeral” is a reference to dying to self in order to have new life in Christ. One thing I really love about this scene (which is clearly tied to the obscurity and difficulty of the music), is the purity of motives in this scene. Let’s face it. These guys are not making any money. None of them will be famous. Ever. And yet some of the artists are incredibly prolific, churning out a multitude of releases year after year. Why? They make music because they have to. Something inside compels them to do it. Whether it’s metal artistry or religious fervor, or a combination of the two, it’s real nonetheless. And I, for one, am grateful