Published on Jan 5, 2001
I realize I should be thankful for bands such as Germany’s
Agathodaimon. This isn’t your typical death metal band, whose aim
is to play ten million notes in one minute and grunt unintelligible
evilness into the microphone while the guitars blare in a
consistent drone.
I know I should be thankful that Agathodaimon doesn’t do things
in the traditional way. And maybe, if their latest disc
Higher Art Of Rebellion was easier to get into, I would be
appreciative. But this disc starts off far too slow for my tastes
and quickly sinks this eight-piece group into mediocrity.
The thing that bothers me is this: Agathodaimon didn’t have to
follow this route. After all, there’s more than enough material on
this disc to prove that the band can hold its musical weight well,
thanks to the dual lead vocal attack of Vlad (who also provides
keyboards) and Akaias. Tracks such as “When She’s Mute,” “Body Of
Clay” and “Novus Ordo Seclorum” all hold out hope that Agathodaimon
could well be a leader in the field of death metal. They even take
a spin into formula with the disc’s closer “Heaven’s Coffin” – a
track which surprisingly works when mirrored against the more
gloom-and-doom sedated rhythms.
If only Agathodaimon had put some of this material at the front
of
Higher Art Of Rebellion. The three songs which kick this
disc off – “Ne Cheama Pamintul,” “Tongue Of Thorns” and “A Death In
Its Plentitude” – don’t have the creative power needed to suck the
listener into the band’s world. Fortunately for Agathodaimon, once
things start clicking, they can do almost no wrong musically… but
it sure feels like a long trip to get there.
Maybe it’s that Agathodaimon isn’t so much of a death metal band
as they are a goth band with metal leanings – something which the
diehard followers of either genre will probably need some time to
get accustomed to. Maybe it’s that their desire to be different
runs the risk of alienating some death metal fans (at least those
who prefer their musical blenders set on “grind”).But if given
enough time,
Higher Art Of Rebellion proves that Agathodaimon indeed
seems to know what they’re doing, even if it doesn’t immediately
sink in.