Agnosys - Alterations

This French band preaches melodic death metal, or rather possess undertones of the melodic black metal genre with some of the chord progressions they use. After a few listens, it is fair to say that you need time on your hands to enjoy this release. The average track length is around the 6 or 7 minute mark; this is realised after the opening tune ‘From the Heights, From the Depths’. With such long songs, it is pleasing to hear that there is enough variation, tempo/style changes and light and shade in the arrangement to keep things on track, relevant and interesting. The worst thing some bands can do with their “epic” songs is reply upon the same boring riff, as mentioned; you do not suffer this painful experience with Agnosys, far from it.

I particularly like the clean vocals from time to time from Nico, there is a pleasant phase shift between emotive thoughts and angst ridden tirades on the other side of human emotion. Musically, it’s nothing new, but the way each track is crafted makes this album work. When the mix between genres comes into play, and this is rather often, you have Sweden in mind, both Unanimated and early Dark Tranquility feature as influences, especially on ‘Towards a Crimson Gorged Progeny’. ‘The Ghost Within’ provides further love for all things aforementioned and continues to break refreshing ground, I say refreshing as this is not new ground. However, if you are in the market for an album of vibrant and varying arrangements with a touch of Melodic black and death metal, then this is an album to check out.

  1. From The Heights, From The Depths
  2. Toward A Crimson Gorged Progeny
  3. Inborm Defects
  4. Sons Of The Void
  5. Banished
  6. Le Lac
  7. The Ghost Within
  8. Tantalos

Reviewer: twansibon
Oct 5, 2011

Share this: