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Antipope is a name I've seen tossed around the Finnish scene through articles and magazines for a while now, but it's only recently that I've gotten around to them. They started out as a Black Metal act, but over the years introduced more classic Trad elements along with pretty much any other genre you can think of (Thrash, Doom, Death, Gothic, Industrial, etc.), so I was definitely interested to hear where they would take all that with their latest.

I can't be entirely certain of how representative this is of their sound, but if I were to take a guess, I'd say Rex Mundi is a culmination of everything the band has done. The guitar work on this is particularly first-rate, with duo Mikko and Antti channeling Maiden with every delicious harmony while also assaulting the listener with blackened sentiments just as masterfully. Every song is jam-packed with great musicianship, catchy melodies, and off-kilter songwriting which makes this all killer and no filler, even with its near-hour length. The vocals will be a sticking point for some, as they're a bit nasally and odd, but I really couldn't imagine anyone else who would do the music justice. If you want some Blackened Heavy Metal with professionalism and inventiveness to spare, then Rex Mundi is an album to treasure.