Together is a sixth full-length release by Antillectual, a renowned politically engaged Dutch melodic punk rock group. It has been a while since this one has been in the works, and thanks to their tremendous effort and the immense help of many DIY record labels, this fine piece of plastic has finally seen the light of day. It’s nearly mindblowing how much attention Antillectual paid to every aspect of their new release. From audio to visual aesthetics, Together echoes with tremendous messages that speak volumes. But let’s talk about their lyrics first.
As soon as you put a needle in this fine piece of plastic, you’ll notice Antillectual is one of those bands with comprehensive knowledge about current global events. Their lyrics are powerful, poignant, and thought-provoking, and they took their time to explain their message and values to the listener. These songs go against capitalist economics, corporations, globalism, fascism, racism, othering, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia, pointing out that unity is the key to success and making the world a better place. The album envisions a world free from political inequalities and rejects the skewed narratives peddled by the media. Instead, Antillectual’s music is an invitation to unite and fight against oppression and bigotry. Also, there are a couple of compositions about supporting bands and the underground scene, global human rights protests, touring, keeping things DIY/DIT, and staying vocal about your stances. Antillectual sees the punk rock community as a singular mechanism operating for the benefit of all involved, which should be a primary idea of all punk rockers worldwide.
Soundwise, Together delivers Antillectual’s classic sound empowered with some innovations in terms of songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing. Just like in their lyrics, the band paid a lot of attention to the song structures, so their signature moves became even more technical, progressive, and detailed, but with a perfect sense of balance and consistency. There’s something about their sound that makes them so unique. Their devotion to several eras, such as the mid to late 90s skate punk scene or early 00s to utterly complex contemporary melodic punk rock music make Together one pleasant listening experience worth repeating so many times. You can also hear the urgency in their songs but without unnecessary explorations into much more aggressive music genres like melodic hardcore or hardcore punk. Of course, these styles are also available during the album, but in much smaller dosages. This powerful mixture makes Together diverse, unique, innovative, and a step forward for the band. The ambiance continuously levitates between calm, soothing, relaxing, arpeggiated chord progressions and more fast-paced, palm-muted riffs, while the bass guitar delivers more than necessary low-end notes for more density and clarity. The drumming is also something you should pay attention to because these rhythmic sequences based on detailed, profoundly dynamic beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics keep Together even more interesting. Willem’s semi-distorted vocal harmonies range from low over mid to high notes with such ease, and a healthy dosage of back vocals and singalongs gives a more anthemic feel to the album.
In conclusion, Together is an outstanding album that should be on every punk rocker’s playlist. Antillectual have delivered another powerful record that combines irresistible melodies with a politically-charged message. The band’s commitment to activism is evident in every song on the album, which offers a call to arms against the injustices that plague our society. With Together, Antillectual has shown that punk rock can still be relevant, forceful, and inspirational, showcasing that art can make a positive change. The album comes as a gatefold vinyl, compact disc, cassette, and it’s available on streaming services. You can purchase vinyl directly from the band or the following record labels: Engineer Records, Geenger Records, Blackstar Foundation, Lockjaw Records, Thousand Islands Records, Bearded Punk Records, Dr. Skap Records, Keep It A Secret Records, Fond Of Life Records, Shield Recordings, White Russian Records, 5FeetUnder Records, Lensen Industries, Hold Your Ground, Infected Records DIY, CGTH Records, Guerilla Asso, Audio Slam Records, NoReasonRecords France, and No Reason Records.
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