Having recently found a new label home and with a string of tour dates looming, the pressure to deliver is certainly upon The Agonist. The five-piece’s aim was to escape the mundane whilst continuing to fine-tune their blend of metalcore and melodic death metal.
Sadly, the Montreal crew miss the mark with opener The Moment, which plods along at an achingly pedestrian pace.
Luckily, the band have a weapon in the form of frontwoman Vicky Psarakis and she soon proves her worth, veering between soaring clean lines and visceral growls throughout The Chain and The Hunt with ease. Muscular grooves, interspersed with crunching breakdowns, reverberate throughout The Anchor And The Sail whilst tech-death-tinged bruiser The Resurrection seethes with palpable aggression. Older fans may blanch at TA’s flirtation with acoustic guitars and instrumental pomp, but it does make for interesting songwriting. Five is the mark of a band who are still determined to evolve.
