Onder een wit laken met een DOA label rond je teen, zo wil niemand eindigen. Maar wanneer The Agonist frontdame Vicky Psarakis in sexy maatpak (inclusief bril en naaldhakken) de ruimte binnenwandelt zouden ook wij spontaan herrijzen. En zo op tijd zijn om ons de nieuwe EP van The Agonist, Days Before the World Wept, aan te schaffen die op 15 oktober uitkwam via Napalm Records.
Het nummer hotst en botst naar alle kanten, waarbij we rond de oren geslagen worden met metalen riffs en de afwisselende vocalen van Vicky. Voer voor liefhebbers van moderne melodic death dus.
Lees
Frontwoman Vicky Psarakis says about the track and video:
"Everything that could possibly go wrong with this video shoot, well... did, haha. We had a very difficult time finding the right location, so our vision kept changing. Days before the shoot was scheduled to take place we managed to secure the perfect spot and experimenting with all sorts of cool lighting is what took it to the next level!
Musically, 'Feast On The Living' is a much more straightforward metal track. You're 4 songs into the EP, at this point you know exactly what you're going to be served and you're loving it."
Produced by Christian Donaldson (Beyond Creation, Cryptopsy, Despised Icon), Days Before The World Wept packs several albums worth of skill, songwriting prowess and melancholic lyrical mastery into just five tracks – leaving no stone unturned!
Opening track “Remnants In Time” begins ominously with ghostly piano lines performed by lead vocalist Vicky Psarakis before slamming into a double bass, one-woman choir explosion rife with needle-precision guitar work by deft guitarists Danny Marino and Pascal Jobin. The death metal burner brings non-stop energy throughout, showcasing Psarakis’ multifaceted vocal attack as she nails searing highs, guttural lows and magical clean passages in one fell swoop. The onslaught continues with the rhythmic soundscapes of cry for salvation “Immaculate Deception”, blending fast paced, aggressive verses with haunting, melodic choruses. “Resurrection” reaches into blackened territory before Psarakis splits it wide open – annihilating with her pinpointed vocal attack calling for rebirth. In addition to Psarakis, Marino and Jobin, dexterous drums from Simon McKay and the bass attack of Chris Kells lead the listener through metallic melodic passages topped with emotive poetry before breaking into the next track, “Feast On The Living”. It stands tall with rollercoaster clean and gritty vocals, rapid fire drums and blazingly precise guitar leads and solos, cementing the track as one of the most technically meticulous of the entire offering. Shifting into fifth gear, title track “Days Before The World Wept” brings it all home, beginning with a beckoning acoustic introduction before roaring in with intense blastbeats, polyrhythms and bellowing screams. THE AGONIST pulls out all the stops, showcasing their chops in all directions with breakneck instrumentation and staggeringly superb vocal approaches. Soaring through a kaleidoscope of blistering metal mastery and hopeful lyrical dramatism, the opus dominates as one of the most impressive works of the band’s catalog.
Psarakis adds about Days Before The World Wept:
“There's a lot I could say about this EP and its importance to the band, but does it matter? Obviously, this is the part where I tell you these are the best songs we've put out to date. Honestly - it's a journey. You're either gonna reach the end and want to relive it or you're not... and that's okay. Let the music speak for itself.”
