Band:	Nachtblut
Album:	Antik
Style:	Melodic black metal
Release date:	January 2009

01. Antik
02. Ijobs Botschaft
03. Die Blutgräfin
04. Gedenket Der Toten
05. Die Mutter Die Ihr Kind Verlor
06. Sturz Des Ikarus
07. Kreuzigung
08. Hexe
09. Des Menschens Kunst Blindheit Zu Säen
10. Kreuzritter
11. Stin Mnimi Ton Nekron [Hidden bonus]
12. Ketzer [2011 remastered bonus]
13. Nie Gefragt [2011 remastered bonus]
14. Gedenket Der Toten [Hellenische Version version] [2011 remastered bonus]
15. Alles Nur Geklaut [2011 remastered bonus] [Die Prinzen cover]

Antik is in fact a re-recording of an album released in 2009 that bares the same name. What reasons the band might have had to re-record the album I do not know, but the 2011-Antik certainly has a very professional production. Everything is clean and well-defined, which certainly makes the album quite listenable even to people who are not very experienced in the dark and epic type of music that Nachtblut represent.

Antik is full of very simple gothic rock songs, a watered down midway point between Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Rammstein, with none of the technicality, intricacy or subtlety of either. The melodies are impossibly simple (the opening title track isn't all that far from Pachelbel's "Canon" and one of the main riffs in "Sturz des Ikarus" sounds a bit like the main theme of the Kraftwerk classic "Das Model"), and the instrumentation is fairly bland and predictable. Frontman Askeroth also lacks the charisma and expressiveness in his vocal delivery that other better Germanic growlers have. Plus, none of the material on Antik has that same level of catchiness one would associate with this genre. It ultimately lacks anything inspirational or intriguing.

That being said, I cannot find any crucial positive aspect beside production and deny that Antik is a low quality album. The band definitely know 100% what they are doing but this album is simply too cheesy for my taste. The fans of German dark gothic metal should definitely check out the album, which even comes with a whole bunch of bonus tracks.