Having found themselves in need of a vocalist last year when former singer Alissa White-Gluz flew the nest to fill the Angela Gossow-shaped hole in Arch Enemy, The Agonist swiftly recruited Vicky Psarakis after seeing her metal covers on YouTube.
She immediately proves her worth with clean vocals that wouldn’t see her out of place belting out power ballads on The X Factor. The real power behind her screams proves she’s a force to be reckoned with, but it’s just a shame that the songs she’s singing on are such a mixed bag.
Album opener Gates Of Horn And Ivory is incredible; a fast and furious firing shot of intent, and while there are a few other solid moments such as A Necessary Evil and Disconnect Me, the momentum drops off. The Quebecois crew’s capable yet uninteresting metal operates on a law of fast-diminishing returns as that opening sense of urgency is frittered away throughout the rest of the album, leaving their new singer’s potential sadly unfulfilled.
Via Century Media
