Southern California's Antagonist has been around now for 10 years, although Exist is their first release to gain wide exposure through Prosthetic Records. The album has some of everything. From melodic thrash metal, metalcore and moments of classic metal and even hardcore, it's hard to pinpoint an exact identity. The inclusion of breakdowns and mixed clean and harsh vocals, along with the standout melodic guitar playing of vocalist/guitarist Carlos Garcia and Matt Lopez make All That Remains' The Fall of Ideals, Trivium's Ascendancy or Killswitch Engage their closest relatives in the metal family.

Songs like the thrash opener “Bombshelter” and the many faces of “Amnesia Ln”-- including acoustic guitar and a momentum-building breakdown--showcase what Antagonist is capable of. The slower, darker, melodic thrash ballad, “Failure on Repeat,” is something uncommon in the current trends of metal. Drawing influence from classic Metallica ballads and even hints of Pantera, this is probably the standout track of Exist. The guitar melodies make it similar in structure to “Fade to Black.” A lot of the in-between tracks are up-tempo, metalcore-style material, though it is played at a high level and is much more memorable than your average metalcore band. There's not a radio-friendly single here, nor is there obvious potential for any large breakthrough, yet the awesome guitar playing (check out the shredding in “Angels” and “Awake”) makes this one worthwhile if you're a fan of the mentioned bands.