From the first time I saw this album I was pretty confident I had to face a groovy band. I wasn't sure if these guys would play Stoner, Black, Death or Heavy Metal, but I was sure that the Rock & Roll attitude would be in every single note. And guess what. From the first track, everything seemed to be going just as I had predicted!
Phazm originate from Nancy, France. First of all, I would like to say that rhythm guitarist Pat is no longer a member of the band but is mentioned in the line up since he was a part of the band when the recordings took place. This is their second album through Osmose. Their debut album Hate At First Seed was released in 2004 and contained a cover of Motorhead's Dogs. The producer behind the console in their debut album was Jacob Hansen.
So, Antebellum Death & Roll is Phazm's attempt to combine their Black Metal roots with the southern sludge attitude. I can't say they manage to sound awesome, but they are not bad, too. Imagine a mixture of Impaled Nazarene, Motorhead Black Label Society and some Darkthrone touches compressed in a CD. The production is raw and catches the Rock & Roll spirit, something that helps the tracks show off a lot. That's what Phazm are all about. You don't have to expect a great album or something different in the Metal scene. I can't even describe this album as something good, but in a strange way, it wasn't boring at all. It just gets boring as time goes by. I only managed to enjoy these twelve tracks for two or three times. This CD can also be a good companion for a blackster's beer consuming moments.
If you are a die-hard fan of this genre, you will like this album for sure. For me, it's time to listen to something a bit more interesting. If I wanted to listen to something like this, I would definitely prefer Goatwhore's A Haunting Curse (2006).
Oh, I forgot to mention that this album comes as a dual disc. The DVD side contains a live show filmed in Nancy.