Antler Dance

Boiled In Lead | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Omnium
• ASIN: B000001BCM
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #409,656 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Bag from BiL, October 24, 2001

By 

Lenora Heikkinen "writer" (Winnipeg, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Antler Dance (Audio CD)

Boiled in lead has always experimented with several different things in one album, but other albums, such as Orb, seem to work together anyhow; the diverse elements create an interesting synergy that keeps you going even when the tunes change mood and style.

Antler Dance feels more like a collection of random tunes thrown together. Some are excellent, some are good - but the album as a whole does not hang together.

That said, I'd better repeat, there is some EXCELLENT stuff in this album. My two favourite tracks, worth the price of the whole album, are the back-to-back instrumentals, "Sugarfoot Congress", and "Drowning". The first is a rocked up trad. set, that only gets wilder and harder - and better - as it goes. The second is a fiddle-dulcimer tune that I can only say is one of the most beautiful pieces BiL has ever done. Those two instrumentals also work in sequence, unlike many other moments on the album.

Also notable are the trance-like "Neda Voda" (Though it's badly placed enough that the placement affects the tune to its detriment), a crazed cover of Bomey M's "Rasputin", and the poetic hard rock "Walk through the Door".

Disappointments are "Robin's Complaint", which is lyrically sarcastic but sadly, musically whining, "Hook 'em Cow", which wears out after the first few listenings (Though it works fairly well live), and the overlong "Nasrudin" - which is made worse by following "Neda Voda", as the two combined create a stretch of around fifteen minutes of directionless instumental. Since "Robin's Complaint", "Bring it Round", and "Hook 'em Cow" make for an excessively long stretch of short sarcastic pieces, I wonder that they did not shake up the order of the songs a bit more; it would have improved things. Of course, simply replacing the (few) pieces that are not up to their usual standards would have improved the whole album more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars mix of brute force, virtuosity and skewed humor, October 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Antler Dance (Audio CD)

I liked the record. Heard it on the radio{Newry Highwayman} and bought the cd. I was amazed at the wonderful polyrythmic perversity of the music. Try it you'll like it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the more unique bands out there..., November 3, 2009

By 

freereign (Ocean of Corn, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Antler Dance (Audio CD)

I'm one of the lucky ones who was in a club awaiting a Husker Du show (I think it was Huskers, I went to this club so much...), and the guy spinning the tunes from the DJ table announced the debut of his band, which mixed Celtic/Irish trad with the ferocity of heavy/fast rock of the punk variety. They tore the place up with electric guitars and penny whistles, bass, fiddle and drums. It was like seeing Jethro Tull reborn as a punk band. Ok, that's a horrible generalization.
They've expanded to include other "world musics" in their material, but still retain a central sound and energy level that many other bands would envy. This one comes along with all their earlier vigor and louder guitars crashing into violins while telling folk tales in thee styhle ov olde.
Turn on your deck and hold onto your hat, this one's been out 15 years and I still love it.