THE AGONIST ~ 'DAYS BEFORE THE WORLD WEPT'

Canadian Extreme Death Metal act The Agonist returned with their new EP, Days Before the World Wept via Nuclear Blast Records on Friday 15th October.

The follow up to 2019’s full length Orphansis is based on real-life events of greed, gluttony, confusion and hope was produced by Christian Donaldson. The EP is five tracks of extreme metal stylings juxtaposed with soaring melodies and evocative lyrics that sees a progressive movement for the band.

The album opens with the ghostly piano tinkering of “Remnants of Time” that soon erupts into finger blistering double guitars, female choral voices, and the versatility of vocalist Vicky Psarakis. She transitions between death growls to harsh vocals and finally beautiful melodies. Next up is the tenacious “Immaculate Deception.” Psarakis opens with a sinister dialogue that segues into an aggressive, metal sound to switch to more melodic, ominous passages.

“Resurrection” evokes blackened metal growls with the double technical assaults of guitarists Danny Marino and Pascal Jobin. “Feast of Living” features sharp and precise guitar leads, crushing blast beats, and anguished vocals to finish with the self-titled “Days Before the World Wept.” A harrowing acoustic introduction with explosive drumming, complex time signatures and sweet and powerful vocals.

Overall, The Agonist produce a tenacious and emotional release stuffed full of technical prowess, intense musicianship and moving song writing to leave this writer easily impressed.

I’m Music Magazine Writer Anselm Anderson

Band photo: Eric Sanchez