CoC : Agony - Apocalyptic Dawning : Review

Agony - _Apocalyptic Dawning_
by: Adam Wasylyk (4 out of 5)

Montreal's Agony on this album-length demo play some better than average death metal which is full of blast beats and chugging guitars, and along with that showcase a slower/more technical side to their music. The vocals are your standard high and low/growl vocals, while the guitars occasionally exhibit a more technical side (particularly in the soloing) but on average are played fast and heavy. Songs like "Cyberpsychosis", "Orbital Hide-Out", "After Death/Eviscerated Pig", and the title track are played convincingly but at different times during the demo, things started to sound the same. There are a few cool moments on _Apocalyptic Dawning_ but what I thought was especially cool is the song "Outro" which is a cover of "Toccata and Fugue" by classical music composer J.-S Bach. It's most likely that you've heard this song, as it's in almost every Dracula movie ever made. After hearing it, I immediately thought that this could very well have been played by the talented band The Great Kat. Good production and layout (with lyrics), there is some quality death metal here and is recommended.

Contact: E.S.T Management, 755 Muir, Suite #205

(article published 2/1/1997)