Wow. That was my reaction after the first spin I gave to Moonspell’s new album The Antidote. Without question, this is one of the best albums of the year and maybe the decade. Certainly, it is the best Moonspell has released since Wolfheart. This is the album they needed to make to cast off the shadow of Darkness and Hope. Their last effort was good but it was too drenched in keyboards and went nowhere in certain parts. This time around, Moonspell stripped down the sound and accentuated the metal parts, bringing to life a new step for their sound. The keyboards are there but do not play such a prominent part anymore. Unlike Wolfheart’s use of cheese keyboards, these key parts only function as support when needed. It’s a much-refined sound for a band that seemed to be revamping their sound constantly.

Fernando Ribeiro turns in his best vocal performance on this album. This will be the one he is remembered for. He balances using his clean voice with his growling voice. The vocals are clear and well recorded. He just never has sounded better. It’s also good to see that he’s using the growling vocals again for it seemed that he had abandoned them for a little while. Also of note is Mike Gaspar on drums. He turns in his best performance behind the kit. The drums on a Moonspell album have never sounded better than they do now. He has several extended solos, the best being the intro to “From Lowering Skies” and one during “The Southern Deathstyle.” Each hit is clear and sharp, so the tone and timbre of each individual drum can be discerned from the other ones. His fills aren’t original but he plays them so well it doesn’t matter. If St. Anger is the worst drum performance of this year, this is the best.

The guitar performance is standard for Moonspell. Nothing super special but it gets the job done. The few solos are worthwhile though and while they’re not technically complex, they’re memorable. The bass performance is quite good. Moonspell parted ways with longtime bassist Sergio Crestana right before this album was recorded. Filling in is Amorphis bassist Niclas Etelävuori who makes this album his own. His style is much more subdued than Crestana but at the same time, he’s a much heavier player. This fits well with the general motif Moonspell was trying to achieve here and it turns out to have been a match made in heaven.

The album opens with “In and Above Men.” This strong track stets the mood for the album. It’s melodic and forceful, creating a dark aire that will be maintained for the whole album. It’s unsettling and spooky, genuinely dark and not forced. It is the truly dark gothic albums that do this properly. This segways perfectly into my personal favorite song “From Lowering Skies” which opens with Mike Gaspar’s drum solo. It’s nothing groundbreaking. It’s just a mid-tempo pattern repeated over and over. A welcome change from power metal drum solos. The verses have ominous keyboard notes and the chorus has a guitar riff reminiscent of the Twilight Zone theme song. Combined with punishing double bass and hammering bass, it’s a spectacular song and one that combines miniscule details of the craft into a masterpiece.

“Everything Invaded” is currently a number one single for Moonspell and with good reason. It hearkens back to their older style with multiple layers of harmonizing on the main melody and minimalist verses. The odd splash cymbal at the right moment proves to be a great tool. It’s classic Moonspell in top form. Similarly, “The Southern Deathstyle” is evocative of their older works. An up tempo track, it’s aggressive and in your face. The breakdown in the middle is so perfectly executed, it’s scary. In contrast to this, the title track is down tempo again brings up shades of Opeth.

The only real complaint I have is the song “Lunar Still.” It’s a seven minute track that is really boring. The introduction sounds like a cheap rip-off of Nine Inch Nails' “Hurt.” A harder part follows but is boring since it’s the same riff and keyboard part being played ad nauseam. “Capricorn at Her Feet” is most similar to “Full Moon Madness” off the Irreligious album. It’s a good song but has some parts that drag.

Moonspell has created an album that’s in the running for album of the year, without question. Any fan of theirs and any metal fan in general will appreciate this swansong release.