There seem to be so many different types of death metal around these days it is hard to keep track; technical brutal death metal, brutal technical death metal, brutal tech-death etc. It sometimes makes my head swim. So when a band like France’s Death Agony plays uncomplicated, no `insert-obscure-sub-genre-here’ Death Metal (worthy of capitals), it is indeed a refreshing change.
In that sense, this punishing debut album is right on the button. This is so-called `old school’ death metal insofar as it does not obsess over ludicrously fast blast beats, insane time signatures or incredible feats of guitar athleticism which are incomprehensible to the average listener. Instead Death Agony concentrate on the basic tenets of death metal; making it oppressively dark and bone crunchingly heavy. In `Carcinogenic Memories’, one can hear so many of the classic bands and influences that created the hideous son of thrash metal in the first place; the ugly primitivism of Obituary, the muscular frenetecism of Malevolent Creation, the dark whirlwind of bands like Morbid Angel and Slayer, and I can also detect a hint of the black, crushing weight of early Bolt Thrower in the churning grimness that is Death Agony’s music. A band that springs to mind quite often, is Morta Skuld (remember them?). Occasionally there is a cold blast from Northern Europe; clearly someone in the band loves Necrophobic’s first album too!
Of course, there is nothing at all new here. Almost every riff, every twisted note even, has been played before. Forget originality, you will not find it on this album. What you will find though, is truly genuine dark and heavy death metal, with real feeling and memorable, crushing riffs. The slightly rough production really helps too; most music that passes itself off as death metal these days is so polished you can see your face in it. Death Agony’s debut is dark, rough and mostly full of an evil, pulsating, malevolent atmosphere to my ears which really brings out the grim, obscure feelings that those first tentative listens of Obituary, Entombed and (in my case) Morgoth gave me. Vocalist Matt’s delivery is deep, guttural and angry yet refreshingly clear, and his annunciation is very good indeed. Death Agony are also not afraid of evil, tremolo-whipped guitar solos either, which really do enhance the morbid atmosphere.
The album isn’t consistent all the way through sadly, there are moments when the music becomes a little repetitive and loses some of its impact, however these are few and far between. For the most part, Death Agony deliver the goods, smashing forth their nasty, uncompromising brand of authentic death metal into your eardrums.
(7/10 Jon Butlin)
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